Subway psychology observations- Page 2

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 11:35am

And Calvin, you get extra points if you can knock their cell phone out of their hands!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 11:47am

Calvin - I usually employ the same tactic. Although the last time I was in NYC as I was exiting the train, I had my sunglasses clips in my hand, ready to put them on as soon as I got up the stairs. The moment I stepped off the train, I was rushed by a MOB shoving their way hurriedly onto the train, not letting anyone off and the clips were knocked out of my hand and went flying onto the tracks. $100 lost in the blink of an eye. I guess it was my own stupid fault for getting them out on the train, but I had time to kill, so I thought I might as well get myself prepared for the summer sun.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 12:38pm

Yeah it's much less chaotic. Most of the time. Those rush hour Red Line crowds at Metro Center can be rough sometimes!

I know, I take the Red Line. But in general, I don't see the same behaviors listed here- no one really hogs seats, no commuters shouting across the car at their friends, no noxious food smells, definitely no mariachi bands. Everyone sits quietly, minding their own business.

Unless there's a sporting event, then all bets are off.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 12:42pm

Calvin, I shove my way through the mob who won't let me off with or without bags. I have no problem with simply barging my way through, no matter who gets jostled.

They know damn well they're in the way so they don't complain!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 12:44pm

I agree that cellphone conversations are some of the worst. I was on Metro North several weeks ago and the woman behind me called someone and sang Happy Birthday to them. I am seriously thinking about buying one of those cellphone blockers.

When I was in Germany, some of the trains had a "quiet" car. It was the best idea. No talking at all in those cars.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 12:48pm

Amtrak has quiet cars sometimes. It's usually the last car.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 12:50pm

I have white noise on my iPod for those loud train trips. One time these two kids whined loudly for over an hour, nonstop. Glad I had those waterfall sounds.

[p.s.]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 12:50pm

p.s.-just to let you know - I changed the title of this thread to observations about 30 minutes before you posted, as I had second thoughts about my word choice. But thanks anyway~

That, exactly, was my observation. I was impressed that you revisited your word choice, and actually bothered to make the change. It took me 25 minutes to research and compose my own message.


p.s. Getting back to subway and bus observations -- I've observed that very often riders are observing others not directly, but rather through reflections in the windows. I guess it's safer, as well as less rude, that way.

[James885]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 1:59pm

Speaking of iPods, don't you hate it when you're on the train or bus and someone has the volume on their iPod or mp3 player turned up so high that you can hear it with YOUR headphones on?

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 2:03pm

Yes, James, I hate that!

re staring: I get people staring right at me, directly, almost every single time I ride the subway. So I stare right back at them. They quickly look away. But whenever they get a chance, they resume staring at me. This drives me crazy!

[nygrl232]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 2:07pm

Yep, staring is annoying. Happens all the time and it's creepy as hell. Are people just zombified past the point of social graces? Have they ever heard of magazines? A woman once sat down directly across from me on a mostly empty train and stared at me while stuffing her face with potato chips. I was absorbed in a book until the crunching started to drown out the train noise. I moved.

Sometimes I stare back and say, "hi, how're ya doin?" I liked how Edena Monsoon handled it in the "Morocco" episodeo of Ab Fab. "Stare! Stare! Hello! Hello!"

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 2:19pm

ok, I once had a couple staring me down. They wouldn't stop. finally, when it was almost time for me to get off the train, I walked right up into their faces and stared. They were annoyed. I actually said out loud "Oh, you don't like it when it's the other way around, do you?"

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 5:37pm

6. Pretend to be asleep while practicing any of the above.

Just witnessed this on the way home! A guy was pretending to be asleep with his bag next to him. This woman tapped him and said "excuse me" and he picked up his bag and went back to "sleep." I was glad someone said something to him!

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 12:06am

I HATE and I mean loathe the business trio that just finished a meeting in the loop and are taking the train to O'Hare (they heard it was faster) and literally camp out near the door with their stupid bags and then proceed to yammer on the cell to their assistants in Cleveland and then yammer about the sucess of their sales pitch!

[Taryn]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 3:21am

One of the really crazy-different things about visiting London was how little people seem bothered by sitting next to each other on the Underground in comparison to NYC. I often see people stand in the NYC subway rather than sit next to someone. I didn't see people stand in the Underground unless ALL the seats were full.

[Plum]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 5:06am

Eh, I'll stand on the subway sometimes rather than sit down between two people if space looks tight.

And if we're talking about mass transit annoyances, try the crazy lady who marched onto a bus I was on in Philadelphia one time - with two small children, mind you - and started swearing non-stop at the driver in a voice so loud it would make Brian Blessed take a step back. Then she kept swearing. And swore some more.

The bus kept going while we waited for the cops to come, and about five minutes in she decided that I had a problem with her. (I was eating a croissant and facing away from her, but why would that stop a nutcase?) That was the first time I was ever called a lily-white bitch and had a complete stranger threaten to beat me down. *sniffle* Truly a landmark in my mass transit career.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 10:32am

Oy, I take coach commuter buses every day and while I do the whole sitting-on-the-aisle thing and see it constantly, it doesn't annoy me nearly as much as the noise. I can't even say how many times I've been on that bus just wishing I was back in the stone age with no electronics. People who's ipods I can hear clearly, people who's computer noises I can hear clearly, and there's gotta be nothing worse than the damn cell phones. Some people will just yammer the whole time, and it's the worst when it's a 12:15am bus home and all anyone wants to do is sleep -- for some strange reason, people decide the later it is the louder they can talk. One girl was talking so loud in the back, when I moved up to the front seat, I could still hear her. And I think the best was one night when a guy kept screaming and cursing about the bus taking so long, cursing at the person he was talking to -- who he eventually said "mom" to...the people that when they hang up with someone decide to call someone else...it's just like in theatre, could you really not go an hour/hour-and-half without being on a friggin cell phone?

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 10:58am

For people who put the bags on the seat (when there are no other seats available), the trick there is to just go to the seat anyway. Start to sit down like you're going to sit on top of the bag. They'll almost always move it.

And Plum, that reminds me of when I was looking at going to grad school in Boston. One of the lines had shuttle buses replacing it for a portion (whichever one goes near Fenway, because there was a ball game going on) and one guy didn't make it to the bus quite in time. He chased the bus and it eventually stopped. He got on, got right in the driver's face and said "Hey, f*ck face!" and just sat down as if nothing could happened.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 11:05am

This is a different type of transportation-- NJ transit- but nevertheless, the behavior is disturbing.

Mothers let their young children run up and down the isle without even watching them (they are usually on the phone). The kids, meanwhile, will crawl under peoples feet and try to hide.

Another event was nail filing/painting. For me, filing nails is like scratching a chalkboard; I don't know why but it really bothers me A LOT. So, this lady sitting across from me filed her nails...for AT LEAST 15 minutes. Then, of course, she painted them, with a base coat, a color and a top coat. Talk about breathing in chemicals.
Then...get ready for this... Same thing for her toes. Filed them and then painted then. Please people, save this for a place where air can circulate better and not bother others with the skin particles falling all over which mind as well scratching a chalkboard.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 1:52pm

"For people who put the bags on the seat (when there are no other seats available), the trick there is to just go to the seat anyway. Start to sit down like you're going to sit on top of the bag. They'll almost always move it"

Calvin, I do this all the time. And I can't believe how indignant they get when they have to hold their bags in their laps!

[Marianne2]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 2:36pm

The thing I dislike about people sitting down literally on top of my stuff is that I hold it extremely close to me anyway, and I'm usually carrying a purse that's not tiny, but not huge. I don't take up entire benches. I don't mind putting my bag in my lap if I have to, but if I have to move my bag because you feel the need to sit practically on top of me, then I mind.

[LotteTBS138]

Posted: 10/23/09 at 10:26pm

Thanks for the observations because I noticed the same thing as well. I don't get why men sit with their legs spread bigger than Hoes!

>>I just start coughing and sneezing without covering my mouth...<<

I personally start blasting Cats out of my nano and this works just fine to get people to move! (seriously, I have a story to prove it)

[StarStruckGB]

Posted: 10/24/09 at 1:40pm

Okay, so I was on the Metro North a little while ago. It was like 1am, and I was heading out of the city. This guy, much older than myself, gets on the train, which is surprisingly busy, and sits next to me. He proceeds to tell me how hes been at the hospital for days with his mother whose sick. He sees that I go to Pace University, and I tell him im studying Psychology and theatre. Basically the story ends with him telling me how great I'm going to be, and how much the world needs people like me. Then he offered me money to get some coffee when I got off the train.

Creeper, or sincere? I still dont know.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 10/24/09 at 1:56pm

Only worry if you run into him again and he remembers you. I avoid the exxon gas station now because of some creepy guy who works there. I talked to him once, just figuring he was trying to make small talk. I told him where I work because it's public knowledge. I didn't tell him more than that. But, somehow a co-worker went there and I guess was wearing a shirt from work and the guy asked him about me. I stopped going for awhile, but went last week and he remembered me still. It's been months.

[StarStruckGB]

Posted: 10/24/09 at 1:59pm

Apparently stalkers are in fashion this season because I've inadvertantly collected a few.
Most noticably is this mentally challenged kid in my Photo class.
What the hell can you do about that?

I'm too nice.