SUBWAY FOLK: The Unwelcome
Although it will rain for the next few days, the weather’s been really nice here. And, you know what that means. TOURISTS.
Already, I’ve noticed an influx of families from the Southwest and old ladies from all over bouncing about the city, making plans to see Ground Zero (ugh) and a show at the THEATUH. Unless you work as a server at an Applebee’s in Midtown, the only place you’d ever want to find a tourist is on the subway. Why? Well, have you listened to them?
“This train goes to Grand Central. That’s the other Times Square.”
“Local trains are the ones that don’t leave Manhattan.”
And, my personal favorite:
“Gosh, I would LOVE to ride this everyday to work; these people are so lucky!”
Hilarious. I used to make fun of people who’d say shit like that. Now — and, please, put your guns away before reading the following — I find it kind of cute and endearing. The ladies in this photo, all in their little Estelle Getty voices, were all screaming about how excited they were to go to the Brooklyn Bridge and walk across to Brooklyn. That’s it. That’s what did it for them.
I mean, damn! Do those of you who haven’t lived here all your lives remember feeling that thrilled about New York? Hopefully, I will have some free time this summer to discover things in this city again. I definitely miss that.
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Thinking again, I loved my one time in new York back in 2000. I loved the MTA because it wasn’t the TUBE. I loved the way people left dollar bills on the bar as tips. We don’t tip in bars, period. Well, not in pubs anyway. I loved the place. I espcecially loved overhearing two lawyers One owith an accent I’d only ever thought existed in NYPD Blue saying that he was being screwed by his wifes’ divorce lawyer, and all this in a diner at the foot of the Empire State, fantastic. Worth every penny of the fare over the water. Great piece.
Maybe we should switch places. I hate leaving tips and I don’t really care for the NYPD very much either.
And, I had an umbrella that had a map of the Tube on it, but I think my British neighbors took it when I left it outside of my apartment to dry.
I actually LIKE to see tourists on the subway because that means they haven’t succumbed to the whole “eek-big-city-SCARY” mentality that most suburbanites/bovine Americans/red staters seem to have. If people are so frightened of New York, then why the hell do they come here and get in my way when I’m walking up Broadway? I once hooked up with someone from North Carolina, and taking the R train back to my apartment (I lived in Astoria at the time), he got all nervous because everything was so OLD…. get a life, people.
Thus endeth today’s rant.
Yeah, I get really pissed when tourists are talk about being afraid of the City.
I had a couple friends who visited me, and one of them was afraid to walk in Central Park in the early evening, because of things he had heard.
And, yeah, I actually like seeing tourists on the train. It keeps them off the streets. Ha!