If you're anything like me, it's not stepping off of the sidewalk and hailing a cab that gives you that "I am such a New Yorker" feeling. It's being able to casually tell your friend "Oh, where are we going? Oh, easy. I can just take the -- and transfer to the -- at -- and it's right there."
When I take the subway it's like "Take that New York! I can navigate you for $2!" It's like being one step ahead of the game, like a true New Yorker.
Well, New York MTA. You've officially kicked my ass. Congratulations. You win.
And for the past THREE weekends the 4, 5 has not been running. Since I'm a newbie to the area, I learned this the hard way, as my fabulous friend Andy can attest to (when I arrived at his apartment in tears).
The worst part is... I was in my this-will-look-super-cute-at-the-trendy-bar outfit... which is never the this-won't-look-skanky-on-the-subway outfit. SO, after walking 5 blocks to the subway, then another two blocks underground, I, along with a dozen European tourists, tried to make sense of the hand-written "service changes" note inconspicuously taped to the wall, with an arrow pointing to the J. The note conveniently forgot to mention that you first have to take the A to Chambers to catch the J. Three trips around the station - in my new black pumps, which are apparently too big - and I finally hopped on the A to 42nd, then took the N to 23rd and had to walk over 3 avenues just to find my friend in Gramercy. Estimated trip time? 80 minutes.
After sweating it out on the subway and dodging the creepy looks, all the while trying to walk in my big shoes without looking like I was already drunk at 9 p.m., I finally made it. But my love affair with the Subway is over. I gladly took a $15 cab home, as if I were... I cringe at the thought... a tourist.
But at least I maintained some semblance of New York knowledge by yelling at the driver when he tried to take Bowery instead of FDR drive =)
No comments:
Post a Comment