This past summer I landed a job at a dental center located in Manhattan, yet I lived in Long Island so I had to commute 5 days a week. After a while I noticed that each day my thoughts on the train ride and walk to 18th street had become very patterned. I realized that a lot what I was thinking was so relative to everyday city traveling moments that other New York City commuters could relate. So here are 11 Things NYC Commuters Think:
1. S**t! The train is here!
Once you become a regular city commuter it’s inevitable that there will be days where you will be sprinting to your train. You know it comes at the exact same time every morning, never early, but under whatever circumstance (oversleeping, bigger breakfast, or too cocky about your speeding skills) you pull into the parking lot, see your train already there, and take on the powers of the Flash to make it before the doors close.
2. Who am I going to have to sit next to?
If you’re riding a peak train, then sitting next to a stranger is almost unavoidable. Peak trains are too crowded for isolated seating. If you’re a regular commuter than you get used to it pretty quickly. Still, when you walk down the aisle, you scan every person on the train to see if they seem decent enough to sit with. And if you were lucky enough to be the first one in a row of empty seats, you give up the privilege of getting to choose who to sit with. All you can do is hope that another pot bellied, beer guzzling, trucker type doesn’t occupy the space beside you.
3. Can I make it?
This question pops in every time you need to cross the street. You see the crosswalk light across the street is blinking the red hand warning you of the traffic light changing soon. You have to decide if you can make it across quick enough before it does. If it’s not that, then you think this when you’re questioning if you can finish jaywalking before that cab crosses the intersection.
4. Please don’t hit me!
If you take the risks as said above, there will be numerous occasions where you will have close encounters with oncoming vehicles continuing onto the street that you shouldn’t be crossing. You pray they don’t run you over, but deep down, you know they won’t.
5. Wow. A lot of runners here.
A lot! You’ve seen a couple middle-aged people running around your neighborhood every now and then, but in the city you see 3 or more people from age 20- 65 jogging on every block. People in the city seem to be pretty serious about their cardio.
6. A lot of bikers too.
Everyone else seems to be biking in the city now! You see all types of people, dressed from work professional to sweatpants casual, traveling alongside traffic on those popular little blue citibikes.
7. They’re all so damn fit. Maybe I should start biking.
It seems like a fun, easy activity and everyone who does it seems to be in pretty good shape. Why wouldn’t you want to do a seemingly effortless workout with good results?
8. All this walking must be great exercise anyway.
But you think about all that walking you're doing in the city on those never ending blocks. Sure, it’s not jogging, or biking, but they do say walking is the best cardio and if you pick up the speed, you’re practically getting a full workout.
9. That outfit tho.
Everyone in NYC seems to belong on a runway. Well not everyone, but a lot more from wherever you’re commuting from. As an NYC commuter you will be noticing high fashion constantly. There’s always a few people you see walking where you can’t help but stare at their killer shoes, trendsetting shirt, or whatever sleek article of clothing they’re wearing. It's stylish; expensive as hell, but stylish. And these fashionable people always look as if they’re kind of important and it leads you to think…
10. Where do they work?
Seriously? Where do you work where you can afford stuff like that? What kind of job do you have where you just look that boss on an ordinary Tuesday??
11. I need to upgrade my wardrobe.
Once you start spending a significant amount of time anywhere, the environment influences you. I’m not saying you’re going to do a full on wardrobe conversion, but you’ll probably begin to base some of the clothing you buy on what you’ve seen there. Who wouldn’t want to look that good running to catch the train, dodging cabs, and power walking to work on a regular Tuesday?
