One of the things that surprised me when I moved here is that commuting on the subway is quiet. The trains and platforms during rush hours are pretty darn silent. There are noises, of course.  The creaky train rumbling along century-old tracks.  The station announcements.  The safety or public service announcements:

“Ladies and gentlemen: it is up to you to keep our subway safe… If you see something, say something.”

“Ladies and gentlemen: be courteous.  On crowded trains please hold your backpacks and move to the center of the car…”

“Ladies and gentlemen: courtesy begins with you. If you see a pregnant, elderly or disabled person offer them your seat.”

“Ladies and gentlemen: a crowded train or platform is no excuse for an improper touch. Sexual harassment is a crime…” Um, wait, what??

Crowded trains are particularly quiet.  I think the added weight makes them less rumbly.  There are what feels like 500 people in a very confined space and no one is making eye contact, let alone speaking.  It’s eerily quiet.  Riders shuffle out of the cars and silently climb the stairs leading outside.  There are a lot of stairs.  Everywhere.  But that’s another post.

It’s rare that I hear people talking. But when I do…I listen.  Sometimes, like last night, it’s someone wearing headphones and singing in that off-key way people do when their music is too loud.  Sometimes it’s people having conversations with their fellow commuters.  Today I listened to a boy and girl discuss their photography school and how they are learning to use filters “to make it look different”.  I was in the middle of the car, they were at the doors, I could hear every word they said. 

The upshot is, if (on weekdays) you were to go into the subway system and start screaming, everyone would look at you. 

This fact is not true between 4pm on Friday and 4am on Monday.  This is when The City is overrun with people who have no problem talking, singing and/or shouting anywhere they are.  To anyone who has visited during this time (and has a memory of their visit): if a weekend or a major Holiday/Event is your experience you haven’t seen New York at her finest.  You have possibly caught her at her worst.