Onward Hoe!

The MTA has this great department, apparently, that is in charge of "SubTalk." They make all kinds of posters that are prominently displayed in both the trains and the stations. They speak to issues like safety (mind the gap, don't let your kids' hands get caught in the door, etc.) to being on the lookout for terrorist activities ("If you see something, say something.") to illegal subway activity (don't buy a swipe from anybody--"it's illegal any way you swipe it"--, "Give to the poor, just not here," etc.).

But my favorites...my absolute favorites...are the newest ones with the really terrible graphics. Seriously, they look like they were made with KidPix or something. I think even I could do something comparable. One has a trash can, and at the top, it says, "Contribute to a Cleaner Subway." Then at the bottom, it says (and this is the best part), "Every Litter Bit Helps!" Yes.

Then there is the one that has a very simplified birds-eye view drawing of a subway platform with a train stopped. The doorway to the train is indicated and outside of it and off to each side (not directly in front of the door), there are footprints. Just footprints. On top, it says, "Step Aside, Speed Your Ride," and below, "It Really Works!" The saddest thing about that one is that either nobody reads it, or nobody believes it. People still try to shove on in as soon as the doors open, not thinking that there would be more room for them on the train if they'd let people off first.

As convenient as the subway usually is, it's starting to wear me out. Moreover, it's starting to become the one thing I don't like about NYC. Today, for example, I left at 8:02 a.m. I walked the block and a half to the 163 St. C station only to find out that the C wasn't running downtown from there. Therefore, I had to take the C uptown to 168 and transfer there to a downtown A. Since the A is express and I got there right as it did, I thought all would be well, and I would still get to work on time. It was running on its normal route and everything. Unfortunately, for some unkown reason, somewhere between 96th and 59th, we sat still for about 30 minutes. Yes, 30 minutes. Therefore, I was 25 minutes late. At least I wasn't the only one. One of my students and one other teacher were also on that A train. None of us had any idea as to what was going on, but the conductor walked through my car at one point with his walkie-talkie blaring, and although it was severely distorted, I distinctly heard the words, "danger" and "need permission..." followed by some very frantic yelling.

So if you're curious as to why I'm moving (I think most of you knew that by now. If not, I'm moving. You just found out.), there are 2 reasons:
1. the subway
2. Bojangle's.

If you've never had Bojangle's, I pity you. It would make you want to move too.