Live data from Hacker News

Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

nymag.com

21–30 of 107 posts

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#22
post #21

The diversity of occupations is refreshing. I imagine New York City is particularly unique in this respect. Are there cities that are similarly diverse in occupations ?

Basically every U.S. city has people in each of those occupations. In fact, most of those occupations are more or less essential in every city. There might be a few more people in creative occupations than is typical in the U.S., but that sort of thing varies withing NYC, even. Riding a different train in a different neighborhood at a different time of day will have more mechanics, doctors, or engineers.

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#23
I started a subreddit a week ago on a similar premise. I like how simple these interviews are and how they paint a human picture. We hardly know each other, and I feel like that causes a lot of issues. I also liked playing the game of trying to read their backstory by the picture, then seeing if I was affirmed by the blurb. I got the methadone guy because his gruff look, nails, and torn bag. I was disappointed by the ebony Cleopatra blurb, I thought I was going to be in for a ride there.

I was on the subway a few months ago when this mother left her kid at a different stop accidentally ( I'm sure he was safe ), maybe not the nicest thing to do, but I was in NYC for taking pics and got the moment here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BUlPWUMguSmtfh86RQymrzWcPC4L9YH8...

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#24
post #15

The fact we are all on the subway for the same basic purpose subliminally provides a democratizing, unifying and human environment. The person next to you is different than you but is also the same as you. The person is real - not a media concocted persona based on how the person may look, what groups he may belong to or how the media interprets and communicates her assumed motivations. Digital is great but there are…

I don't know. It's hard to feel magnanimous when you have an armpit in your face and someone else is blocking the door to get off the train.

> human interaction

Honestly, my relationship with the person next to me on the train feels more like the relationship between two cows on a cattle car.

Maybe you're riding a different line at a different time of day or something.

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#25

Did they do this on the weekend? I ride public transit every day of the work week. I see lots of the same people. I don't understand how the answer to the question of "Where are you going?" is not "work" more often.

well it's obviously not in rush hour due to the few people standing, so I'd bet it's the weekend or middle of the day

If it were rush hour, there wouldn't be enough room to write notes on a moleskine, let alone have a conversation.

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#26

I started a subreddit a week ago on a similar premise. I like how simple these interviews are and how they paint a human picture. We hardly know each other, and I feel like that causes a lot of issues. I also liked playing the game of trying to read their backstory by the picture, then seeing if I was affirmed by the blurb. I got the methadone guy because his gruff look, nails, and torn bag. I was disappointed by the…

Where can I see this subreddit?

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One of the things that bothers me about individual automobile travel is how isolating it is. I want to interact with people and experience local art and culture, of which there is a lot in the NYC subway. We're a communal species. You can make phone calls and listen to local podcasts in a car. You get better exposure to architecture, nature, and automobile design in a car than in an underground train. >I want to in…

Real life is so much more interesting, IMO. Also there's far more that you can only experience by walking or riding a bike around the city.

There are things you only experience scooting around the city, but there are things you only experience when you get at least 30 miles out of an urban area. And there are things you only experience if you go on a full-blown roadtrip.

I think there's a lot to find interesting out there. Generally I only feel limited by my curiosity and imagination.

If you're on a road trip across a "boring" part of the country, chat up a trucker at a rest stop. Ask how the business works, how they got into the business, how things changed since they started, what their bosses seem like, etc.

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#28

I started a subreddit a week ago on a similar premise. I like how simple these interviews are and how they paint a human picture. We hardly know each other, and I feel like that causes a lot of issues. I also liked playing the game of trying to read their backstory by the picture, then seeing if I was affirmed by the blurb. I got the methadone guy because his gruff look, nails, and torn bag. I was disappointed by the…

Your Instagram link 404s for me.

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Real life is so much more interesting, IMO. Also there's far more that you can only experience by walking or riding a bike around the city.

There are things you only experience scooting around the city, but there are things you only experience when you get at least 30 miles out of an urban area. And there are things you only experience if you go on a full-blown roadtrip. I think there's a lot to find interesting out there. Generally I only feel limited by my curiosity and imagination. If you're on a road trip across a "boring" part of the country, chat u…

Yeah, and try doing it on a bicycle. I biked across the US (SF to NYC) last summer, and it's something you simply cannot replicate any other way. There is so much more to the world when you hear the sounds, smell the smells, and have spontaneous conversations with people ("you're on a bike? going to where? what?").

Re: Who’s Sitting Next to You on the Subway? An R Train in September

#30

I started a subreddit a week ago on a similar premise. I like how simple these interviews are and how they paint a human picture. We hardly know each other, and I feel like that causes a lot of issues. I also liked playing the game of trying to read their backstory by the picture, then seeing if I was affirmed by the blurb. I got the methadone guy because his gruff look, nails, and torn bag. I was disappointed by the…

Your Instagram link 404s for me.

Probably his account is private.
Post reply on HN