In the past few years, there’s been more altercations on the subway, more fights on the subway. One of the reasons I know this is because if you go on you tube, and type in Subway fights, you pull up the latest shenanigans on the train. Passengers getting into fights with other passengers. Crazy people just opting to flip out. In seemed like in the 80’s and 90’s despite it being more dangerous in New York City with the grafittied trains, and being in cars where the windows were spray painted over, you just didn’t know what would happen. However while on the train, when you would read your newspaper, it wasn’t out of the ordinary if you were done if someone asked you if they can read your paper politely to read it, and you would give it to them. The person 100% of the time would always give it back to you. That was then.
But now, in an age where everyone is tuned into their Ipods, playing games, reading various things on Kindle, the isolation between everyone is now extreme. Nobody wants their personal space invaded. Also, people have become over the top rude talking on their cell phones while above ground on any elevated train on the subway. If the person wants to sleep, or they are just reading the paper.
Here are a few examples of this.A couple of years ago on the E Train an elderly white woman wouldn’t move into the car to give room for people, so a West Indian woman came in, and pushed her. The West Indian lady started yelling at her with her thick accent. “You got to move in!” “why you standing there for no reason?” At first glance, it seemed like the Elderly white lady didn’t know English that well. When the West Indian lady was getting off the stop, she took her hand and hit the elderly lady hard on the back of her head calling her “stupid”. The elderly white lady was stunned. We all in the crowded car were shocked. What provoked that? It was so odd, and uncalled for. How did it escalate to that? What was the reason?
Another incident that really got under my skin happened a few days ago. I got on the LIRR (Long Island Railroad). So, you maneuver to get your seat. Okay, sitting down, take out the phone, check what texts you have, and get into my routine.So, then this guy. He was African, sits behind me, and settles in. Now honestly, everybody on the train at least seventy percent had their Cell phones out, checking whatever they want to check, nobody really talking. This gentleman proceeds to get on the phone, and talk. HOWEVER, he’s talking loudly. Almost to the point where he’s yelling on the phone. It was rude. Now, I could’ve asked him politely to just whisper, but there have been experiences where I have said that, and the usual “Mind your Business” is said, and I’m like “fine”. So, this continued for a few minutes. I was getting ticked. I did the next best thing, and luckily found another seat and moved. Because I literally was pissed. So anyway, I move into my new spot, more people come on the train at the next stop. As the train is going towards the city, the African guy on the phone starts talking again, and AGAIN ,he’s talking loud. I was sitting in the middle of the car, the people at the end of the car could clearly hear him. The more he kept talking, more people started to notice. No one said anything, but a lot of evil glances. Then it continued, and now people were murmuring under their breath that he needs to be quiet. Finally, it got to be so much, I just went very loudly “SHH”! The guy stopped, and quietly finished his conversation. Interestingly enough, when we got to the station, and everyone got off the train and walked towards the Subway, the African Guy got off the train last, and was way behind everybody. Whether he did that on purpose, or not, he did get the message. Now in hindsight, I don’t think he meant to be rude, but the fact was he never stopped. The level of people being in their own special cocoons, and just plain being unconscious has become the norm these days. It’s almost to the point that I’m expecting someone to tape the incident and uploaded it on Youtube.
I never get into any confrontations on the train, or say anything. You just want to go to work, have your music on, and make the thirty to forty minute trek comfortable, which can mean a huge person scrunching in between you, or a couple that’s making out so fast and furious, you feel like like you’re a voyeur. There was one incident though that made me stop, and think.
A few years ago, I was on the “J” train going to work. You see people come and go. However, there was a African American in his Mid twenties who got on. He was rapping all sorts of things. Really to himself, but not so much that you heard him rap. So, art this time, I was reading my paper, and he was continuing to rap. Not annoying, but obviously going. so, as he’s going on, he starts rapping, “I’m Black, and ugly, I’m crazy retarded.” Now at first, I thought I was hearing things. I couldn’t believe that’s what this guy is saying. So as the train is going on, I hear the same Rap Lyric again. I’m a Black man, and I’m crazy and retarded”. I couldn’t believe it. Now, the guy was in his own world, and seemed like he wasn’t all there, but this rap was so offensive. he was putting himself down. Making himself as though he was nothing. So, he kept this up for ten minutes. I got angrier. Finally, I just said loudly after he was going to repeat himself. “Yo”! He looked at me like “What did you say’? He started again, and I went “Hey”, come on”, He then looked at me, and then stopped. He didn’t understand why. He then was quiet the rest of the way, and he got of at his stop. It shocked me. I was so stunned that this Black man though he was that low of himself. A part of me wanted to say “Man, you are not Black, and ugly, and retarded, you are human. You matter”! It just left me sad. How did we get to this place of feeling so less of yourself that you are rapping about it. It makes you wonder sometimes.
It’s strange with all the technology, the more disconnected we are, The more angry we are. It’s more like everybody’s forgotten to just communicate with each other. A ride on the Subway has now gone from “Let me get to work” to “Let me not get in the middle of a fight, because someone’s talking too loud”. I do miss the bad old days when there was graffiti, and grime. At least people were nice to each other.
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