Singing on the Subway

Today I made the mistake of riding the subway at rush hour...twice.

This morning I was walking to the stairs and the station looked like an ant hill flooded with water, people pouring out.  The trains weren't making ever stop, so a lot of people had to change their travel plans.  When I got down to the train, people were wall to wall.  The voice on the intercom kept yelling telling people not to shove their way onto the train, not that they listened.  Somehow, I made my way onto the second train! I started reading Game of Thrones, and had a relaxed trip to work.

Tonight, didn't go as smoothly!

The train was shockingly empty when I got on at 14th street and stayed that way for awhile.  At 42nd there was even an empty seat, I almost sat down then a woman apologized and asked if she could sit and told me she was pregnant and that she just wasn't showing yet.  I moved quickly to let her sit.  Another seat opened up, but I didn't feel the need to sit. I was happy standing reading Game of Thrones again.  At least until we got to 51st.  At 51st people were waiting practically pushed up against the doors and flooded the train.  I was standing in the middle holding onto the pole when I hear a guy yell "Hey lady! Move it! Get outta the way!" In a New York accent so strong that I've only heard in movies before.  She yelled back that she couldn't move, but she had SO much room!

Then there is a loud beeping sound and the doors are opening and closing over and over again, getting caught on one man's elbow. Everyone was yelling at him to get off of the train, but after getting his arm shoved in the door at least ten times he finally pulled it in the car and the doors shut.  The beeping sound continued, meaning there was still another car with the doors open, no doubt another unlucky New Yorker's limb caught in the door.

The train started to move again, and the lady from before, the one with too much room, yelled. "Ouch! You SHOVED me! You hurt my back!" Everyone looks around, not even knowing who she was talking to, one man responded saying, "I didn't touch you...." She was quiet again for a minute or two, then she yells, "You got a problem? What are you looking at me for? You got a problem with my music?" The girl I was standing to and I exchanged looks, trying not to laugh or smile, while still watching her out of the corner of our eyes hoping she didn't just start hitting people or something. After asking him if she had a problem with her music, she burst out into song!  Singing loudly to whatever was playing in her headphones.

In was an overall enjoyable and extremely entertaining subway ride, but 77th street couldn't have came fast enough.