Commuters

To the guy on the train that just wants to get through it... I'm with you, man.

There are a lot of people that commute into and out of the city everyday.  I mean, a lot.  Between New Jersey Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North, subways, buses, ferries...  it's a lot of people.

This morning I took the earlier train in order to have a quick meeting before work.  This 8:00 train is much more crowded than my normal 8:30 train.  Its also much less jovial and much, much quieter.  The group heading into the city at 8:00 seems to just want to get it over with.  They all understand the drill, they find a seat, park their butts, and ride it out.  There is no happy-making ticket guy, no chatty pals, no busybodies; just commuters.  Lots and lots of commuters.

I got off the train toward the front this time as I had to catch the 1/9 up to my meeting, rather than my usual egress toward the back of the train and the hell that is 8th Avenue in the mornings.  It turns out that the 1/9 section of Penn is a whole different kind of hell in the morning.

The major difference between the 8th Avenue hell and the 1/9 hell is the people.  At least on 8th Avenue we are outside and the crush of people can be scootched around if necessary (though you sometimes take your life in your hands while scootching).  The 1/9 side, however, is all underground.  The same number of people, all stuffed into sticky hallways and onto pee infused platforms. 

That said, the 1/9 side of the station is filled with people just getting it over with.  Very little emotion, very little eye contact, mumbled "excuse me's" and "pardon's," but no one getting bent out of shape, no one laughing, no one feeling.  Just people moving from point A to point B. 

People just trying to get through it. 

Taking the early train was a nice change of pace today, but I think I prefer my jovial, friendly train and my 8th Avenue hell.  The group of folks just trying to get where ever they were going with very little connection made me feel a little sad, a little defeated.  Keeping our heads down and just getting through is no way to go through life.  I would rather be bothered.  I would rather someone be too inquisitive, someone try to make me laugh, someone notice I'm there.  I would rather take my life in my hands trying to pass some slow folks that refuse to let go of each other's hands while walking down the street, than to move along like cattle and not notice or be noticed. 

I would rather get where I'm going full of emotion, no matter the emotion, than get there feeling dead inside and defeated before the day even begins.

I would rather take a ride, than simply commute.

So, to the guy on the train that just wants to get through it... I'm with you, man.  And I hope you get where you're going.  I hope you arrive feeling something.  Anything.  And I hope, next time, that you notice me.  I'll be the redhead that smiles when you look up.