Next Stop, Balancelessville

posted on december 3, 2002, tag: work

Each morning I take the L train from the Bedford Avenue stop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to the 14th Street Union Square stop in Manhattan. The trip is fast—from Katia's door to my desk is about 20 minutes—but far from fun.

Because Bedford Avenue is the first stop in Brooklyn on the L train, and because Williamsburg (especially near this subway stop) is an area populated largely by "faux-hipster-artist-wannabes"—on their way to work in all those little record stores and cafes and independent publishing concerns—every car on every train at seemingly every moment of every morning is packed.

And we're not talking about a few too many people. We're talking about those stereotypical scenes you see in New York based films or television shows where people have their faces smashed up against the glass and there's barely enough room to breathe. It's unbearable, and worse, it's normal.

To make all of this worse is a problem not unique to the L train: a rough ride. All subways tend to be rather rough in-transit. They bounce up and down, shake, vibrate, speed up and slow down violently, usually causing everyone on the train to nearly fall over.

I think the reason for this is the inherent difference between controlling a subway and controlling all other forms of mass-transportation: the conductor doesn't experience the ride the same way a majority of the passengers do. On a plane, on a bus or in a car, the controller and passengers are usually both sitting. But on a subway, the conductor sits in a cushioned seat while most of the passengers stand.

I've watched through open conductor-cab doors as conductors braked extremely hard, perfectly comfortable in their seat. Meanwhile, passengers topple in the aisels. I think if they made conductors stand, rides would be significantly smoother.

Also, on the subject: the new subway trains put into circulation recently are great. They offer a much better appearance, stop charts that light up and are easier to follow, as well as light-signs that tell you the current time, which stop is next and more. They've also got a nice female voice narrating your ride and telling you the names of each stop. The annoying feature, though, is the recorded male voice that says, "Stand clear of the closing doors, please." Actually, it's not that specific recording that annoys me... it's the recording that plays each and every time someone walks between cars while the train is moving: "Passengers, for your safety please do ride or walk between cars while the train is in motion." Sometimes you'll hear it 15 times in a single ride.

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