Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Saturday, January 15, 2005
All for the price of a token...I mean, Metrocard
“You can’t get romantic on a subway line/Conductor don’t like it; says you’re wasting your time.”
—David Lee Roth
A drone-like female voice booms over the subway loudspeaker: “Ladies and Gentlemen, pan-handling is against the law. Please do not give to law-breakers. Please give instead to charities that support those in need. Thank you.”
Let’s rewind back to, say, 1973. If some futuristic flick injected that exact pre-recorded spiel into a futuristic subway scene, we all would have chuckled at the representation of such an inhuman future.
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“The words of the prophet are written on the subway walls.”
—Paul Simon
When I was about 14, I was getting off the train with my friends and decided to vault the turnstile on my way out. These were the days before turnstiles had a roll bar overhead to deter jumpers. They were a little wider, too. This was good for the times we’d crawl under. Anyway, a transit cop was standing near the token booth but that didn’t discourage us. After all, we weren’t vaulting into the subway. The cop watched me execute a smooth vault and said: “Practicing, huh?”
Determined to impress my delinquent crew, I grinned and answered: “Yup.”
These days, that same exchange might get me killed…but back then, you could talk your way out of trouble.
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“You got a black .38 and gravity knife; you still have to ride the train.”
—Lou Reed
Tourists are unmistakable on the subway. They use a subway map with even a shred of shame. They think it’s hilarious when the train pulls out and they nearly fall. They make eye contact with everyone. They wear Hard Rock Café t-shirts.
Even the savviest NYC native looks like a tourist when riding an unfamiliar subway line. Everything about them reeks of panic: their posture, facial expression, their entire aura. They check the map and dutifully count the stops. You put the same person on their regular subway route and they’ll rise from their seat at the right stop without even glancing up.
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“The all-night girls they whisper of escapades out on the D Train.”
—Bob Dylan
Back before it was common to see women and girls playing basketball, I remember seeing two black girls, maybe 13 years old bouncing a basketball while waiting for a train at Lexington Avenue.
They were quite good and were obviously enjoying themselves.
Within a few minutes, a white cop came along and admonished them to stop throwing the ball around. The girls frowned and watched him walk away like John Wayne.
One of the girls took the ball and gave it one more toss against the wall.
I may be right or wrong about this but that spirit—making that one last toss against the wall to challenge authority—is humanity at its best…
Copyright © 2005-2007 Mickey Z.
