New York City. The Big Apple and The City That Never Sleeps. For me and for many, we call New York City our home.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been riding the subway. As a young child, I would eagerly go under the turnstile and turn around to wait for my mom to swipe her metrocard. Every week, we would make multiple trips into Manhattan and go to Chinatown along the B/Q line. And everytime, as we pulled out of the DeKalb Avenue station, my face would be pressed close to the window so I could watch the Masstransiscope work its magic.
I would always be looking forward to the different types of people that would step onto the same train cars as me. The kind adults who were commuting to and from work that would meet my curious stares and smile back. The hard-working aunties that would bring around their churro and food carts. And the people I looked forward to seeing most: the musicians and the entertainers. The musicians played all sorts of music as they walked down the train car while the entertainers always had something different. Some would occupy the center and show off their dance moves while others would make elaborate balloon animals to gift to children like me. That was how I remembered spending my time entertaining myself on the hour-long train commutes. There was always something to enjoy.
Gradually, I grew up and began to take the train on my own. As a high schooler, I joined the familiar crowd of commuters that made the subway a daily part of their routine. The train ride, still an hour long, began to lose its charm and became a drag. I began to notice things that were never really a concern to a child. For starters, the train seemed to always be delayed. And it would always happen at the most inconvenient times when I was trying to get to school or meet up with friends. I learned to navigate the trains like a pro. Which routes were the best to take on the weekends, what to transfer to if there was a delay, and so much more. The entertainers I once loved also began to lose more and more of its charm. The loud sounds became more of a disturbance when I wanted to catch up on some much-needed rest after pulling an all-nighter or when I was trying to study for an exam. I began to grow used to ignoring them, partly because I was too occupied with my own to be bothered by them, but also to avoid the guilty feeling of enjoying their show without giving them money when they walked by with their hat tipped toward you. It was just easier to put on a blank face and move on.
The trains are a gathering place for people from all walks of life and I was made very aware of that as I got older. In a city as big as New York, it was normal to see a lot of strange faces everyday, but you also begin to notice familiar faces. As I took the same route and the same trains day by day, gradually I encountered people that would share the same commutes. It was both awkward and interesting. These were people I saw everyday and could confidently say that we recognized one another, yet we had never talked and probably never would. And sometimes I wonder what might change if I did approach them one day, but until then they will simply remain as they are—another stranger in this big city.
Perhaps the greatest difference I have learned while growing up taking the subway is putting on my “New Yorker” face. Don’t let emotions show on your face. Pretend you don’t see anything. Mind your own business. It’s actually really ironic to think about. The MTA makes a point to announce regularly that “if you see something, say something” to all of its commuters, but that is the exact opposite of what I and many other people do. It stems from the fact that we are trying to protect ourselves from all the possible dangers and violence that has become an increasingly large problem on trains. Ignore other strangers and mind your own business in this melting pot of a city.
My experience riding on the subway is constantly changing as I grow up and realize more but there is nothing I would ever give up about living in New York City. This place may always be filled with countless strangers and the strangest experiences, but it will always be my city to return to.
