OMG. I don’t even know where to begin to describe my morning commute today. It was so stressful, that I couldn’t even write about as I was witnessing it. Not to mention, it was so crowded that I could barely move my arms. If I had managed to pull my BlackBerry out to write, I would have thrown it as a weapon.
Here’s the rundown:
Homeless Bum: I get on the train, and it is somewhat more crowed than normal. However, I’m looking around over people’s shoulders, and I know I can see open spaces. So how crowded could it really possibly be? Ok, I squeeze into the train.
We get to the next stop and a bunch of people get off. Then I see it. A huge bum taking up 2 or 3 seats. Stinking up the place. Might be drunk…who knows.
The plot thickens…
The Stroller: The homeless guy has an old baby stroller stretched out in front of where he is sitting. It is literally sticking straight out from his legs, essentially road blocking the isle. So that’s why there was so much space. He was blocking people out. Also, on top of the stroller was two milk crate things with lord knows what inside. Then, there was something big rolled up in a large plastic bag on top. This thing was the size of an RV.
Here comes more trouble…
The Kiddies: We get to the next stop, and there’s a field trip of 8 year olds standing there. They flood onto the car using all the available doors, including the one where the bum was sitting. The come streaming on board with another 15 adults trying to get on too. Now we’re packed, and no one wants to be near smelly homeless guy.
Then the kids start bitching that they are being squished. “Don’t worry kids, no one else is going to be able to get on at the next stop.” “YEAH RIGHT!” I said out loud to the woman. Sure enough, half a dozen more people packed in at the next stop.
Finally, one of the teachers started telling people that there were “kids” on board that couldn’t be “crushed” anymore.
The fallout: The three things I hate the most…all happening right in front of me…on the same train. Ohh it’s 9am and I already need a drink.
SUBWAYblogger 
If schools are going to be too cheap/broke to hire buses for field trips, they should at least wait until 9:30 or 10 before they invade the subways. Passing Grand St. the other day, I had the pleasure of seeing what must have been an entire school of children crowd into EVERY SINGLE car on an uptown B train. Lovely.
LikeLike
Seriously, was today field-trip day? Little buggers were all over the place today!
LikeLike
Thirded! I was waiting for a 2/3 at Grand Army Plaza at 9:30AM along with a good 80 middle school kids. Insanity.
LikeLike
Ouch. Well, ur right. Schools are cheap, of course. What a shame. Only Nine years ago i was that 8 y.o. little bugger. But yes, I’d tollerate a homeless man than a bunch of crowding children on the subway anyday. Just as long as the homeless dude doesnt bother me,im fine.
LikeLike
As a teacher, it is not really the school’s fault that we use subways. Taking buses really take a while to get to a trip because traffic is crazy. So, subways it is!
Sometimes, waiting until after 9:30/10:00am leaves us with hardly anytime to visit the destination as well as commute back to school by dismissal time.
To be honest, the teachers have to also teach their students how to properly act on the subway when going on field trips. Well, actually, parents should have already done this beforehand, but it is now up to teachers to reinforce it. I have taken 70 students on the train before without any problems because they know what we expect.
Should we not take field trips then?? I guess people will just have to realize that field trips are part of school and in NYC the subway IS the only efficient (if you want to call it that) way to travel.
Who’s to blame?
-City for not funding buses for trips.
-Some parents for not teaching kids how to act on trains.
-Some teachers for not reinforcing it.
LikeLike
[…] Subway Gal SUBWAYblogger and Bums […]
LikeLike