So I love to bitch and moan about assholes on the subway, and the disturbing fact that I am turning into one. Well apparently other New Yorkers have taken note of my evolution as well. A few weeks ago I left work late and was faced with the terrors of rush hour to which I am not usually exposed. As I made my way off the R train at the 59th and Lex stop to make the dreaded transfer to the 4/5 to get home, I was trapped for a few minutes in an unmoving sea of human traffic.
But I really wanted to go home! So I decided to sort of sneak my way through the crowd unnoticed...okay, more like push my way through. Well, someone noticed alright. I came up against a guy who decided he was not going to let me get away with it. I told him I just needed to get to the stairway and, outraged, he yelled at me, "you can still say excuse me!" I was a bit ashamed and excused myself quietly, after which he let me pass as I rode the wave of people down deeper to the depths of our wonderful subway to catch my train. My cheeks still burnt red from embarrassment many hours later. He had reached me; he was right and I was just another anonymous jerk on his commute, making his day shittier than it already most likely was. It really hit me because I am trying to change, and to get better at not letting the pace of this place get to me, and every day, one way or another, I fail at at that task. Here I go again, pissing off a stranger by being overly aggressive and selfish.
As though I am the only one who desperately wants to get home after a long and crappy Thursday at work!
Anyway, I guess you could say I learned my lesson...for now. I will see how long I can go before my cheeks no longer burn red and I go back to normal....like everyone else.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
That reminds me of when I was on the train once and talking on my cell phone to Yoni, who was in DC for the summer, and this guy goes to me after a while, "Would you like to get up and go over there to talk? Because I've been waiting ten minutes for you to stop talking..." etc. and basically went off and I just turned to him and said "You didn't even have to wait one minute--all you had to do was saying 'excuse me' and tell me that it bothers you, and I would've gotten off the phone." I felt very mature for having such a rational response, except that I also hate when people talk on cell phones on the train. I'm not sure how it's similar, but anyway, it reminded me of it.
The exact same thing happened to em on the bus...this woman SCREAMED at me for talking on the phone to my friend who had just gotten engaged!! Wanted to kill her...and yeah all she had to do was ask nicely or even give me a look and I would have shut up!
Post a Comment