Comments on: Subway Seat Supply and Demand

By: plumpdumpling

plumpdumpling — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:51:10 +0000

I rarely, rarely feel guilty for sitting, but I want other people to. In the mornings when the 4/5 is so crowded people are standing on each other’s shoulders, I can’t help but look at those smug assholes from Harlem and the Bronx who get seats every morning by virtue of getting on at the early stops and want to give them the stinkeye until they pay attention to me. When the train gets stopped because of traffic or whathaveyou and they sit there sleeping, I want to slap them awake. Although when I’m comfortably seated after work every day, I love it when the train gets stopped and I have more time to read or watch “Lost” on my iPod.

And that’s why you’re considered nice, and I’m considered a bitch.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:46:48 +0000

This is the sort of attitude I really need to cultivate.

By: plumpdumpling

plumpdumpling — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:44:01 +0000

Oh, man, not me. Maybe the city has changed me, but I really feel as if cab drivers owe me something for hailing them when the perfectly good subways and buses are right there. If I have bags with me and the driver doesn’t get out to put them in the trunk for me, there’s absolutely no chance of a tip.

And if a driver cuts across four lanes of traffic to be the first to pick me up, I wave him on to teach him a lesson about good driving. You’d think I’d be pleased at how far out of his way he went to get me, but all I can think of is how greedy he is.

By: plumpdumpling

plumpdumpling — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:41:10 +0000

If it’s not track flooding, it’s track fire. And the greatest part is that they still run the trains through the stations with the fires, but they turn off all the air to keep the smoke from getting in the cars. So not only are people pissed off that the train’s so slow-moving, but they’re also sweating.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:53:45 +0000

I usually feel guilty sitting in a full train. There was a time when I first lived here when I would NEVER sit when all the seats were filled. But then, when you HAVE to read for school; it’s really difficult to do that & stand. And then, when you’re only getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night, you begin to care less about chivalry.

Sometimes I find myself dazing off while seated and all of a sudden the train is packed & I don’t even have the room to stand up if I wanted to; people would have to move just so I can give up the seat.

On a commuter train from West Chester to Philadelphia, my cousin insisted we stay seated b/c we had a longer way to go (about an hour) than the people who were packing the train. I, again, felt guilty being seated while people older than me stood, but it ended up making sense; they were all gone within 15 or 20 minutes.

I don’t know, at the end of the day, it’s not a big deal for the vast majority of people to stand for a few minutes. The only real need to give it up is for the elderly, pregnant, children & disabled.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:25:02 +0000

I think I would be so good at riding the subway in New York City.

Hailing cabs, on the other hand? I would suck at that. The southern belle in me hesitates to draw attention to herself and ask people (even cab drivers) to go out of their way for her.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:57:55 +0000

I would love to gleefully comment on the vicarious satisfaction I get from this strategy, but I’m stuck on “track fire.”