{"id":4630,"date":"2014-02-28T15:46:42","date_gmt":"2014-02-28T20:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/?p=4630"},"modified":"2014-02-28T15:46:42","modified_gmt":"2014-02-28T20:46:42","slug":"oops-excuse-me-i-didnt-mean-to-spill-my-coffee-on-your-prada-dress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/2014\/02\/28\/oops-excuse-me-i-didnt-mean-to-spill-my-coffee-on-your-prada-dress\/","title":{"rendered":"Oops, Excuse Me. I Didn\u2019t Mean to Spill My Coffee on Your Prada Dress."},"content":{"rendered":"

In a city of over eight million people, we are blessed to have a subway system that takes us to virtually any corner of the city. Taking the subway is often cheaper and faster than trying to navigate a car on busy city streets or trying to hail a cab during rush hour. It may be convenient to take the subway, but there are definitely some uncomfortable and annoying things that your fellow riders do, which might drive you a bit crazy. Every New Yorker knows exactly what I\u2019m talking about. Have you ever had a lady fall on your lap because she thinks Newton\u2019s first law of motion doesn\u2019t apply to her, and she doesn\u2019t have to hold on to a pole? Or how about the guy who just won\u2019t stop staring at you no matter how many discreet glares you give him? Or how about the people who feel the need to preach the Gospel (or anything else for that matter) to a train car full of bleary-eyed people on their way home from work?<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Photo courtesy of Hiroko Masuike\/The New York Times<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the end of the day, we all just need to get to our destinations with minimal issues. Train rides are often the only time we have to ourselves as we rush from one place to another. We all need that time of (relative) peace and reflection.<\/p>\n

Here are some things that we can all do to improve the quality of train rides, and make them more enjoyable.\u00a0
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t hug and\/or lean on poles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m guilty of doing this when I\u2019m reading something and need both hands or when I\u2019m just plain tired and want to lean on something. There are two reasons people shouldn\u2019t this: A) On crowded trains, people will get annoyed if you hog the entire pole to yourself because then they have to find some other piece of metal to hold on to for dear life, and B) It\u2019s unsanitary. Do you know how many people have touched that pole before you? Why would you want all of those germs all over your clothes?<\/p>\n

2. Turn down the volume on your headphones.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, I know Lil Wayne is awesome, but can you please turn down the volume of your headphones? Not only do I feel badly for your poor ears, but I also feel badly for my ears because I\u2019m trying to study\/daydream\/rest.<\/p>\n

3. Talk quietly on the phone and\/or to the person next to you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m dreading the day when we have full phone service in the subway because people tend to have loud and\/or incredibly private conversations on the train ride. It\u2019ll mean more opportunities for people to scream into their phones about who dated whom or what to pick up at the grocery store. If you\u2019re going to talk on the phone, do so quietly or do it while waiting for the train on the platform.<\/p>\n

4. Give up your seat for the elderly\/disabled\/pregnant\/people with young children\/people carrying a lot of things.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know we\u2019re all clamoring to get a seat (especially after a long day), but there are people out there who need that seat more than you. Karma is a real thing.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 If you\u2019re going to eat or drink, do so quietly without making a mess.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oftentimes, in the hustle and bustle of the day, the only time we have to eat some lunch is inside of a train. There\u2019s no law against eating on the subway, but we should all keep in mind a few things. First, make sure that what you\u2019re eating doesn\u2019t have a strong smell and make sure it\u2019s something that won\u2019t create a mess. Second, make sure all drinks have a lid so that you don\u2019t spill your scalding coffee on someone. Lastly, don\u2019t leave wrappers or containers behind when you exit the train car.<\/p>\n

6. Avoid staring at people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On occasion, we all get bored on the train and find ourselves staring at the person sitting across from us and wondering where they got that cute scarf, hat, or coat. But keep in mind that the other person has no idea what you\u2019re thinking about and most likely thinks you\u2019re a creepy weirdo. Therefore, just keep your peepers focused on the ads, your phone, a book, or better yet, close them and give them a rest.<\/p>\n

7. Tell people when they\u2019ve dropped their things and\/or left them behind.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the crowded terrain of a train car, it\u2019s easy to drop any number of things and\/or leave them behind as you\u2019re exiting the car. If you see someone do this, let them know. They\u2019ll forever be grateful (especially if it\u2019s something like a phone) and will hopefully pay it forward.<\/p>\n

8. Have conversations with strangers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know this is New York, and there a lot of weird or possibly dangerous people out there, but there are also a large number of interesting people. I\u2019ve had multiple strangers strike up conversations with me about all kinds of topics. We talked for several minutes, and then I never saw them again, but it felt awesome to make a connection with a stranger like that. But be careful, and use your judgment. If somebody starts talking to you, and something about them doesn\u2019t feel right, get out of the situation. Also, don\u2019t give out any personal information to anyone you speak to (even the seemingly \u201cnormal\u201d people). If they ask for your email or phone number, you should find a polite way to say no. You can\u2019t really get to know someone in 15-20 minutes, and you don\u2019t want to end up in a dangerous situation.<\/p>\n

9. Leave the train car when you feel like you\u2019re in danger.<\/strong><\/p>\n

People talking to themselves is really nothing special in New York. We see it all the time. But sometimes, things get a little more weird than usual. If somebody seems angry or violent, and you feel like you might be in danger, change cars as soon as the train stops. Alert MTA personnel if necessary.<\/p>\n

10. Keep your hands to yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just because it\u2019s rush hour, and you\u2019re skin to skin with a forty-something businessman and you have a lady breathing down your neck doesn\u2019t mean personal space loses all meaning. I guess this one is for all the creepy guys out there (and for those select creepy ladies) who feel the need to fondle strangers. Not cool. New Yorkers will generally not put up with violations of personal space and will probably give you hell in front of everyone and humiliate you.<\/p>\n

11. Don\u2019t preach.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There always seem to be people who walk into a train car and feel the need to tell us that we are all doomed, and we must rid ourselves of sin immediately. Or people who claim to know all sorts of conspiracies and are trying to convince the public that they are being lied to. This makes everyone on the subway extremely uncomfortable and annoyed. The subway is not a podium. We all just want some peace and quiet.<\/p>\n

12. Hold on to something so you don\u2019t fall on somebody\u2019s lap.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The poles are there for a reason. I know they\u2019re covered in germs and might not be the most comfortable things to hold on to, but PLEASE USE THEM. Save yourself the embarrassment of falling on somebody\u2019s lap. But I\u2019ll be honest and tell you that sometimes even if you\u2019re holding on, you\u2019ll still manage to fall. The train will speed up and slow down and turn around a curve, and our bodies are always at the mercy of physics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a city of over eight million people, we are blessed to have a subway system that takes us to virtually any corner of the city. Taking the subway is often cheaper and faster than trying to navigate a car on busy city streets or trying to hail a cab during rush hour. It may…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":703,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"portfolio_post_id":0,"portfolio_citation":"","portfolio_annotation":"","openlab_post_visibility":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[758,1562,1596,2276],"class_list":["post-4630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-etiquette","tag-nyc","tag-opinions","tag-train"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/703"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4630\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openlab.macaulay.cuny.edu\/messenger\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}