#10 People I see on the subway

Underneath Manhattan and Brooklyn 15.07.24

A short one for a tired girl…

Since arriving in the Big Apple I have been living in a slightly obscure part of Brooklyn where I have been able to get a room living with my lovely second cousin. My commute four times a week is one hour and ten minutes and, because of G train shenanigans and other misfortunes, journeys to/from other places (even within Brooklyn) are often long. My commute gets me on the train at 7:30am and my journey back varies. Here are some people I’ve seen on the subway in my ample time to look around.

Coworkers tipsy from work drinks with loud conversations. Modestly dressed women with nametags that say “Sister [name]” and writing in Chinese. Women doing their makeup perfectly. Readers: men in their 30’s signalling that they can read; young kids reading for school; professional women reading a book with a catchy title; old men reading. Professional women in general, wearing professional women outfits. People who wear sunglasses on the subway. People (usually men) who refuse to hold onto anything and just assume a steadfast stance to prove how strong and balanced they are. People (usually women) who refuse to hold on to anything without a paper towel or baby wipe between them and the grime of the city. People wearing masks (not very many, but some). Fratty guys who have a finance internship this summer. One missed his train and said “fuuck” in a way I have only heard from men like this. Kids who get offered seats because they’re about to topple over. Kids who seem like little shits. Adorable kids. Kids doing homework. Kids with their knees on the seat facing towards the window, watching. Kids trying to sell candy to support their families. People on the phone who immediately get cut off as soon as the train starts moving. High school or middle school boys meeting up with each other, meeting their friend who was already on the train, doing pull-ups on the bar to impress each other. People who are going to do an activity that is very obvious, for example people wearing sports gear holding tennis rackets. People asking for money for themselves or for their charity. A woman walking away from the platform telling us not to go there because someone just got struck by a train. Live music. Maybe the only person I recognise having taken the subway with twice was a guy playing the guitar on the Q. Most people wearing headphones, most headphones wireless. People playing videos loudly from their phone. People with a speaker playing music. Most people look up for a moment when the Q crosses the bridge and the view is amazing but most people look back down and stop paying attention pretty quickly. People lying across multiple seats to sleep. People falling asleep while sitting up and their head flops over and they lean on the stranger next to them (sometimes me). People who sit awkwardly in the seat so it is hard to sit next to them. People in uniforms: nurses, construction workers, MTA employees, police. People avoiding eye contact and people staring at people and people staring into space. People who force themselves onto the train before the people have gotten off!!!! High school girls with Coach bags. Couples talking and not talking. People with MANG-O-RITAS. Chatty people trying to make new friends and give compliments. People trying to get into fights. People in capital-O “Outfits.” People with capital-H “Haircuts.” People who clearly do not care about what they are wearing. People who take selfies in public. Women playing Candy Crush or some variation. People reading the New York Times or, more likely, playing New York Times Games. People who smell. People texting their friends (I try to read but I’m not very good at spying). I once saw a cowboy and a cowgirl and I don’t think they were costumes because he had bad teeth and she had a tattoo of a cowboy boot.

When I get off the train, I see fireflies on Beverly Road!