If you live in New York City or have ever visited then you know that the subway beats traveling by bus, car, bike, and walking because there is always a lot of traffic. Going down into those tunnels and riding the trains is always an experience within itself. Below are the five types of people you're likely to encounter on the subway.
1. The Beggar
One of the many types of people you are certainly guaranteed to come into contact with on the subway are beggars. You can often find them walking around on the train using a hat or cup as their basket and asking for some change. On some occasions they'll sit on the platforms and extend their hands to people walking by. There are also the rare ones who will walk around with a child/children or their pets as to tug at your heart and you can't help but give them whatever little change you're able to muster up.
2. The Focused Reader
The subway is no place for concentration. There is always so much going on, whether it be a crying baby or just the sounds of passengers talking very loudly. The train carts are also regularly crowded. No matter how noisy or cramped the carts are, you will always find that one person either reading a book or a newspaper. They'll do so standing up or sitting down with barely enough room to hold the book up.
3. The Dancing Teenagers
Street performances can be very entertaining when you're not in a hurry to get anywhere and you don't mind stopping for a moment or two. Performances on train carts are of a different nature and a little dangerous. Trains consist of poles all throughout the carts for people to hold as a safety measure. For a certain group of teenagers these poles are their stage. They go from cart to cart with a radio and basically dance on the poles doing all sorts of tricks and flips, they can be described as "street gymnasts." The things they do are not only dangerous to themselves but also to other passengers on the train because it's always a possibility that someone might get kicked very hard. At the end of their performance they go around the cart asking for donations. If you are someone who rides the train on a regular basis whenever you see a teenager walk in either by himself or with his friends and they so happen to have a handheld radio in their possession, you know it's best to clear the middle of the train as soon as possible because some dancing is about to go down.
4. The Out Loud Singer/Rapper
The subway is no stranger to talent. When you're on the trains it's not uncommon to sometimes witness a man or woman with earbuds singing or rapping whatever's playing in their ears. Sometimes they are only heard by the people in their immediate area and other times don't be surprised if they are being heard by other passengers three carts down.
5. The Women Applying Makeup/The Eater
Trains stop at every station on intervals of 10-12 minutes so you frequently witness people running into a train and barely getting inside in time before the doors automatically close shut behind them. Sometimes it's very obvious that these people had to give up a part of their morning/day routine in order to make their train on time. As a result we ordinarily see people eating, they can either be having a light snack or a full blown course meal. The art of makeup is no stranger to the subway either. Women applying their makeup whilst on the train is something that is seen on the regular. Sometimes it can be something as simple as touching up their lipstick and eyeliner and other times you'll witness them pull out a whole makeup kit and mirror and start doing the deed.
