Subway Thoughts

1. I will never, never, never eat anything while on the subway. Or while standing in or around the station. Those who do make me gag.
2. I tend to stand beside or behind the poles on the platform. I have such a fear of someone pushing me down into the tracks or tripping and falling down there. It's not just that I'm scared of falling into the tracks and a train coming, but have you seen how disgusting it is down there?! Murky water, trash and who knows what else.
3. Speaking of who knows what else, I've still not seen rats or mice in the subway. Everyone keeps telling me I'll see cat-sized rats in the subway. I always glance down in the tracks to spot one, but I've not seen any yet! :)
4. My ultimate goal is to be able to balance and not hold on to anything while standing up. I saw a guy doing this while reading a thick book, and I was so impressed...until I saw what book - Harry Potter! It really made me laugh - he was this late 20s-ish cute guy reading Harry Potter!
5. Not only does balancing mean you're a real New Yorker, it also means you don't have to touch the handles. I'm really becoming OCD about touching them!
6. Purell. I love Purell. I have a strategy - I always hold the pole with my left hand, and I only hold it in one spot (I figure if I only touch one spot rather than all over the pole, I won't get as many germs). After I get off the subway, that hand can't touch anything else until I've either Purelled it or washed it. I can open my bag and get my Purell (it has it's own compartment!) with my right hand and clean my left hand before too many germs have spread!
7. I thought I was the only person with this germ phobia until I saw the funniest thing so far on the subway! I sat down (sitting down is a toss up in the germ department...now my clothes are infected!) and a guy got on and stood next to me. He put his hand up to hold on to the pole, but he just put his hand around it and didn't touch it. He was making a big circle with his thumb and finger so it was around the pole but not touching it! It looked so funny, and I was like, "Poor dude, good idea, but what good is it going to do?" He was still going to jostle into the pole and have to touch it when the train started moving. It made me do the choking laugh that happens when something is so funny but you have try to make yourself not laugh!
8. Did you know there is an "Uptown" and "Downtown" for every line, and to go either direction you have to be standing on a specific platform which sometimes requires entering from another side of the street? I did not, and this information would have saved me much trouble and confusion. It was a total "Oh!" moment when I discovered this!!
9. The hottest place in the city on a hot and humid day is standing on the platform waiting for the train.
10. Morning 6 trains are so PACKED with people - literally cars just full of people - sitting, standing, holding on to anything, squeezed up against the door and windows. It's really kind of funny. Usually if you wait two minutes or so another train comes that isn't so packed. What adds to the amusement of the packed cars for me is how quiet everyone is. Usually no one is saying a word, yet there are a gillion people piled on top of each other.
11. Riding the subway is like riding in your car. Especially in the morning. It's your time to gather your thoughts and get ready for the day. Non-New Yorkers seem to always comment on how no one talks on the street or on the subway - no eye contact, no smiles hello or good morning. Well, think about it - you get in your car and drive quietly by yourself to work...do you say good morning to anyone along the way?
12. It's always a strange feeling to me when I see a subway packed with people coming in to the station. Car after car after car, each more full than the last. Where did all of you come from?! Where are all of you going?! Will I ever see any of you again?!