"ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing train traffic ahead, please be patient"

subway appreciation lesson #3
first watch this video
Now let me just say, the nyc subways arent exactly this packed, but nearly. ok well not really, but they are packed. now in dallas rush hour traffic lasts from about 7:30 am-9:30am and 4:30-maybe 6:45ish. in nyc train rush hour is from about 6:30am-10:30am and 3:30pm-7:30pm literally. if i am coming or going at any of these times it is packed. packed means long waits, standing, pushing through crowds, etc... given i only ride one line, so it could be different on the west side, but over on the green 456 it is packed. so here is what you must appreciate about this. those trains hold say maybe 200 people apiece with 11 cars on each train that is 2200 people per train. with all the trains in the city and over 20 lines running all over the place that is a whole heck of alot of people moving around. i mean it is pretty incredible to think about the bodies that go here and there during those hours. the trains come every few minutes at that time of day and by the time they arrive there have already been two or three local trains pass by the same platform to drop off more people to fill up the next express train arriving. i mean when you think about it the train system really is mind boggling. it is hard to understand the complexity of the coming and going and the ins and outs.

so at the same time we will take a moment to appreciate the ever so rare empty train during rush hour. what happens is (and i am speaking only from experience and observations specifically at grand central 42nd st) a 4 or 5 express train comes in already packed. people have been waiting for a while, so they say to heck with it i WILL get on this train if it kills me. so that train fills like the sardine video example in tokyo. the few and the patient say i will wait for the next train thank you. i wont put myself or the person next to me in any unnecessary discomfort today. and low and behold as soon as the packed train departs and is on its weighed down merry way, a fresh, light-on-its-feet, speedy, nearly empty, 4 or 5 train comes rolling right by to pick up all the patient left overs. then those who are patient get to ride home in style and comfort. of course this is not always the case. many times trains are packed and all are full of tired, worn out, new yorkers who just want to get home. and in that case we have to appreciate the trains either way cause in the end it is the cheapest, hassle free, dependable and quickest means of transportation in the city. so thank you MTA. we should have MTA appreciation day. i will work on that.