I am slowly starting to appreciate the little nuances that make up New York City, particularly with regard to the subway system that I earlier criticized so harshly. Technicalities aside, I am starting to understand its personality. I was taking the 4/5 train the other day to Grand Central Station, where upon arrival, as I stepped onto the platform, I heard Michael Jackson's Billy Jean blaring from a stereo on the opposite side. Normally I wouldn't think twice, but it was just so relevant to what was going on in the news with the so-called King of Pop. It was almost as if by playing his music, they were saying "poor Michael." And I had to laugh at it. And then on Sunday, the day of relaxation and recuperation from the chaotic weekend, I was waiting for the train while being serenaded by an acoustic guitar player. The wait was no longer antsy and I appreciated his talent. On another ride, bongo players hopped on to beat of the drums for our "listening enjoyment" as the dread-locked man said. And that's just what it was, so I tossed him a dollar for making my train ride a little more delectable. The music of the metro is not the only part of the subway's personality. An unemployed man stepped on to one of the cars and made a brief speech explaining how he lost his job and has been trying to get back on his feet, but in the meantime he needed food to function. The speech was respectable and sounded very honest. So I gave him the rest of my Toberlone.
The conductors are their own entities. I can only imagine what a frustrating job they have with people trying to get in the doors after they have shut, or stepping too close on the platform. On the 1/9 train, you must go to the first five cars in order to get off at South Ferry. The conductors repeat this over and over as the train approaches South Ferry, and so one day the conductor added some humor into his announcement, which was amusing. Just as in life, it's the little things that make me appreciate my daily train excursions. With these quirks I am gradually beginning to understand this city.
