the world of the subway

Riding the subway should be one the one of the few places in New York to experience the actual physical presence of another. Without access to a wireless connection, riders are forced to put their phones down, and interact with another (or at the very least, read a book). The media minded must awkwardly stare blindly at the advertising within the car (and seem much more interested in the “latest miracle weight loss program” or “where to get your next degree”) to avoid eye contact with a stranger. I am one of these people. I hate when someone stands too close to me, or shimmies oneself into the not-big-enough-for four-people-to-sit spot. I get seriously uncomfortable and irritated.

So, thank god for temple run, right? It seems immediate that when a subway rider enters a train, they either pullout the latest smartphone app, or swap from Pandora to Itunes to tune-out the noise of those annoying passengers for some musical bliss.

With each year, it seems that the media-rich environment of the 21^st Century is creeping down into the subway tunnels, allowing for less and less physical interaction with strangers. Just recently, the MTA along with T-Mobile and AT&T introduced wireless service in six subway stations (A,C,E,1,2,3, and F,M at 14^th st, L at 8^th Ave, C,E at 23^rd). You can text, email, tweet, and surf the web while waiting for the next train to arrive. And thank god for it, I was really starting to worry that I might have to start talking to that weirdo standing too close next to me.

-Amelia Stein