There are two kinds of people in this world. The kind who think of the subway as a means of transportation to get from Point A to Point B. Then there are the people who want to know the stories behind the people sitting and standing in the train. I'm the latter kind of person.
Before moving to New York City, I had never been on a train. I had a car, and I drove everywhere. I took the highway to work, not underground tunnels. The open road is nice ... you have the outdoors to look at instead of ads for a philosophy class that is supposed to change your life. Even though you may glance at the leaves changing colors in the fall while driving, you're usually not thinking about the life of the person driving next to you. Since I don't drive anymore, and I'm not in charge of a big piece of moving machinery, I have time to think.
I started thinking about other people on the subway when I first moved here and was learning my way around. I didn't listen to music because I was afraid I'd stop paying attention and miss my stop. So, instead I started looking around at the people I was sharing the train with.
I'm glad I don't have a lot of money and live a Gossip Girl lifestyle where a driver takes you everywhere in a shiny, black limo. After a few rides you know everything you want to about your driver. But, this option does get you from Point A to Point B ... and in style. If that's all you're looking for, then you should aspire to have this means of transportation. Now, if you're one of the weirdos who's interested in people, ride the subway and study others. It's way more interesting than Anthropology 101, and there's always someone intriguing for you to wonder about.
Everyone should try this kind of thinking. You'd be amazed at what you can figure out about people. That man, dressed in a fancy suit, reading the Wall Street Journal and pushing people out of his way when it's his stop, probably does work on Wall Street. He may even work for an angry boss who explodes if an employee is three minutes late ... hence the pushing. Then there's the people with their iPods. These people are usually in a daze with a blank stare on their face which implies, "Leave me alone, I'm in my own little world." Now, I won't lie, I love my iPod, but a lot of the time I don't even have music playing. I'd rather listen to the conversations around me. It's not weird ... it's the journalist in me. And I bet most writers think like me. If not, they would have become cops. For officers, the subway is just a means of transportation that they must protect. Cops are worried about what's in your bag, not why you look sad or why you have a silly grin on your face.
Basically, I think more people should think like writers and less like cops. Maybe then random conversations on the subway wouldn't be such a rare thing.
Now, I could never go back to driving. I'll always miss the changing leaves, but thinking about the story of the person across from me is more profound. Try it sometime. And if you're one of the Blair Waldorf's or Nate Archibald's of NYC, then maybe you could get a new driver every week to keep things interesting ... or be a man/woman of the people and take the subway.
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