She tricked me once into thinking she was leaving at the next stop and made me think I was going to get a seat. So when she got off many stops later I made sure to take her seat out of sheer spite. In the interim stops I looked at her occasionally and thought that…
Tag: subway
Diagonal Line
He has has a golden patch of hair right at the top of his hair in the middle of a wave of medium to dark brown hair. It is hard to tell if it is from too much time in the sun or fading color. A work ID is clipped to his pants over his…
Dear Subway Rider
Dear Subway Rider, Thank you. I know I do not say this often, but thank you. The other night I donated whole blood for the first time in a while and it hit me harder than I thought it would. Typically I donate platelets which takes 1.5 to 2 hours and does not affect me very…
Books on the Train
This is the second time I have seen someone reading a book I have read before this week. Yesterday morning a woman was reading The History of the World in 10 1/2 Short Chapters – I have only read the first chapter of that book, but that was the best one according to my father….
Disengaged
Staring straight ahead, the subway rider is completely disengaged from the conversation happening next to her. Her companion to her left is completely animated, gesticulating when she talks, while their male companion nods along with a small smile. Her hair is up in a ponytail that is half pulled through its black hair tie into…
Hey Numbnuts
Hey Numbnuts, It’s fucking rude and annoying to stand directly in front of an opening subway door while on the platform for many reasons. Firstly, you are deliberately cutting in front of the people who are following etiquette and standing slightly to the side. Secondly, you are blocking the train passengers from being able to…
Coffee and Knees
She put her empty deli coffee cup into her bag, a few napkins stuffed into the opening to prevent the one or two drops of precious caffeine that even the most experienced and addicted of coffee drinkers cannot shake from the cup. The bag is a monster of a leather purse that takes up almost…
Omphalophobia
Bellybuttons freak me out and the girl standing across from me is unconsciously using the pole to play peekaboo with hers. It is not a full innie nor a full outie. Instead it looks like her bellybutton is trying to push itself out of her body. A small, fleshy nub nestled just inside the rim of the…
To the Two Young Women on My Train
To the Two Young Women on My Train, First I would like to apologize for eavesdropping on your conversation and inserting myself into it later, I know it is not polite to do either of those things. Second, I want to thank you. Thank you for giving me hope that I am not the only…
Quick Nap
Her nails are long and she scratches the side of her face with her middle finger. She is wearing a knee length dress that has ridden up to mid-thigh because she is sitting down. It has a black collar and hemline, but in between is pink designs on white with black dots. She has a…
Snake Skin
Her sandals are snake skin – real or fake I can’t tell – but they remind me of my father’s snake skin cowboy boots and rattlesnakes. She is wearing black pants that rise up just above the ball of her ankle. They are high-waisted and she has a black shirt on as well. Over that…
Little Gentian 