I love the 34th Street subway station at Herald Square. The street above is tourist shopping heaven–every awful American retail chain, plus the Manhattan Mall, and Macy’s, which claims to be the largest store in the world–with all of the annoying crowdedness of Times Square but none of the pretty lights to distract from the family in front of me walking 8-wide across the sidewalk and stopping every five feet to decide which Jonas Brothers photo they want to buy from the street vendors.
But in the station itself, when you’re waiting for the N/Q/R train, you can peer down the platform and see into the tunnel for what must be blocks. All of the different lights, the spot where the express and local tracks come together, the way the train comes around the bend seeming so small and slow but roars past you seconds later–I still get a thrill out of that after seeing it for more than five years.
The only thing that could possibly make it more exciting for me? The dead rat I saw on the tracks yesterday.
It’s getting pretty hard to be seen in public photographing dead animals, half-eaten food, and what is probably urine. But I do it all for you, dear reader.
6 Comments
Awwwww. Poor widdle rattie. All it wanted was a good meal and bath and somebody to lovingly dry its freshly bathed, soft little rat fur with a soft, fluffy towel. Its little nosie and earsies would twitch happily, and it would eat a cheeto and then fall happily and exhaustedly asleep in the little cardboard box lined in old chenille blanket, with a tiny pillow made out of a soft, clean, old plush bunny.
Rest in peace, little rat.
This made me smile so hard.
It made me remember my college roommate’s pet rat fondly, even though it ate my couch.
I WILL JOIN YOU!!
Just let me tune up for a sec.
I guess his “RAT RUN AWAY!” tactic was…ineffective.
Rats aside, I hate those slow-moving sidewalk blockades.
“Two by Two, people! Get with the program!”
OMG, SPEAKING of dead animals, did you SEE the episode of “Hoarders” where they found a dead animal carcass in this woman’s house, and it turned out she had found it and brought it home on purpose, because she “liked him”?!
I’m not worried about you as long as you’re only photographing spoiled food, animal carcasses, and urine, but when you start taking them home, I am so having you committed.
I love how the lights and train are still exciting to you. THAT is why people move to places and change their lives – for that awe and love of a place and its atmosphere. Cool.
Oh, and RIP, dear rat. :P