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

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

#51

Post by songshu »

ordinaryperson wrote: post #45

Two years ago I got on the NYC subway, the 3 train, headed to work near Columbus Circle, and after a few recent arguments (people stepping on my feet, accidentally dumping water on me) I'd resolved to be more zen during the crowded morning rush hour. I'd just read this article ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2960791/Commuter-swe... ) that morning about a guy who said FU to a commuter, only to be interviewed…

Plus you will be filmed and put on YouTube if the confrontation lasts more than a moment. This alone is enough to inhibit me.

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

#52

Post by crazygringo »

brndnmtthws wrote: post #2

This is great. People everywhere I go are incredibly friendly, especially in New York. It's always fun to take a moment, act like a human, and talk to people. Not because you want to sell them anything or buy something, but simply because being social is part of being human. 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…

As a response to the children comments who don't believe this...

I also love the (NYC) subway when it's not completely packed. I very rarely interact with someone on the subway, but the people-watching is fascinating -- I can't think of anywhere else in the world where you can see such a cross-section of humanity, of so many races, cultures, clothing styles, income levels, and everything else.

And I feel the same way about automobile travel being isolating. In the subway, it's not about interaction, but you feel a little bit more a part of humanity and all the interesting people doing all their interesting things.

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

#53

Post by acjohnson55 »

superplussed wrote: post #5
humanrebar wrote: post #4

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…

That's mostly true, but then try living for a few years in Germany and then your perception of what it means to avoid eye contact will vastly change :)

There's a whole other level - try riding the subway in Seoul if you look like you're definitely not Korean. It's like you're invisible and inaudible.

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

#54

Post by alexasmyths »

ordinaryperson wrote: post #45

Two years ago I got on the NYC subway, the 3 train, headed to work near Columbus Circle, and after a few recent arguments (people stepping on my feet, accidentally dumping water on me) I'd resolved to be more zen during the crowded morning rush hour. I'd just read this article ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2960791/Commuter-swe... ) that morning about a guy who said FU to a commuter, only to be interviewed…

Anyone who would do that has some mental health problems.

That's really weird, best to just avoid and not engage.

EDIT: to anyone who thinks that by 'engaging you're going to help' I suggest you're probably wrong. Someone randomly punching others, staring at them and shouting profanities is not going to be 'convinced' of anything, especially in that state. Also I'll double down and say that anyone that does that has a problem that needs addressing. That is way outside the bounds of 'I'm having a bad day' or 'In a bad mood' or 'I was triggered' etc..

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

#55

Post by alsetmusic »

ordinaryperson wrote: post #45

Two years ago I got on the NYC subway, the 3 train, headed to work near Columbus Circle, and after a few recent arguments (people stepping on my feet, accidentally dumping water on me) I'd resolved to be more zen during the crowded morning rush hour. I'd just read this article ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2960791/Commuter-swe... ) that morning about a guy who said FU to a commuter, only to be interviewed…

My father was a teenager walking to a job interview and tried to hitch a ride. He called someone an asshole for not picking him up. When he got to the job, that person owned the shop.

I think he actually still got the job.

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

#56

Post by icebraining »

brndnmtthws wrote: post #12
chrisseaton wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ha ha is that how you aspire to feel when you travel in public or how you actually feel? Because it sounds nice but then you try it and you realise many fellow people are unpleasant, annoying or offensive.

You experience life however you choose to experience it. If you go around with a shitty attitude about things, you'll probably have a shitty experience.

Yeap. Which means your experience of individual automobile travel as isolating is solely due to your attitude about it.

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

#57

Post by acjohnson55 »

School-Cotton wrote: post #42
donretag wrote: post #13

Many years ago, my friend and I play something we called the N train game. Traveling from Manhattan into Queens, we would guess which stop the white people would get off in Manhattan. Only us "ethnic" white people went into Queens, the rest (American white for lack of a better term) did not. Now all of that is over. Everyone got pushed into the outer boroughs. There is a hipster bar next door to the building I was bo…

I think “Anglo-Saxon” is the term you’re looking for

Probably not, at least in the sense of literal English heritage.

There's definitely a White American identity, which is an innovation owing to suburbaniztion and television. Previously ethnically diverse white people assimilated as they left ethnic enclaves for the burbs. And for white people with deeper American roots, migration broke down regional American identities. It's a concept known as ethnogenesis.

While some insular white American identities persist in rural and small town America (Appalachian and Cajun come to mind), it's largely recent immigrants contrasting against a monolithic White American identity.

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

#58

Post by clydethefrog »

raldi wrote: post #31
BucketSort wrote: post #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…

This is what I wanted http://windowshots.reddit.com to be, but despite everything I could think of to try to shape the community, it mostly turned into a competition for prettiest vista.

Since when is [subreddit].reddit.com possible?

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

#59

Post by acjohnson55 »

johansch wrote: post #19

Awesome journalistic idea + execution, but so much scrolling back and forth. Would have been neat with some mouseover popups or something similar.

Yeah, I was kind of thinking, what if each picture stuck to the top as I scrolled. Could have been a good opportunity to do something clever with web presentation.

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

#60

Post by raldi »

clydethefrog wrote: post #58
raldi wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what I wanted http://windowshots.reddit.com to be, but despite everything I could think of to try to shape the community, it mostly turned into a competition for prettiest vista.

Since when is [subreddit].reddit.com possible?

2005
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