everything i know about the subway as of 12 jun 25

i like writing on the subway because im alone surrounded by strangers

im also not really anywhere which feels like im inside myself

theres nothing to admire either because the subway is objectively ugly

except when the cars line up in the pitch black tunnels and the cars are going almost the same exact speed and you can actually stare at someone but you have no idea how long itll last and in a split second they could be gone or theyll stay, and it feels so incredibly romantic and mysterious like were in a movie.

i also think its beautiful that no ones phone works in the tunnels, no matter how rich or poor you are

ive been trying to think of what color the ACE benches actually are and i really want to say baby blue but its not baby, more like medical gloves/scrubs but that de-romanticizes them

sometimes i look for people in the subway tunnels especially when the train stops and were trapped in the tunnel because ive heard about the communities that live down there and havent see daylight for 20 years. but ive never seen anyone

i wonder how old the oldest particle of air is in the subway tunnel. probably 200 years old

idk why i said 200 i have no idea when subways were invented

but the air tastes and smells how i think a 200 year old air would be

the air is thick and kinda wet and warm even when its cold. its unsettling

i just looked it up and its the NYC subway’s 120th birthday this year so i wasnt that wrong

definitely feels 120 years old

sometimes i see people who seem to be riding with no plan and they get to a stop and make a face like ‘looks good to me’ and they get off and i think thats admirable

i should try that some day

the people who sleep on the subway definitely dont care where they end up

i think i could sleep on the subway. i find the intercom announcements soothing and rhythmic like a lullaby and sometimes i forget to get off

i saw a sh*t in the subway on the way to work last week and thought ‘mondays’

the sh*t stayed till at least wednesday

i get jumpy riding the subway at night not because of the people but the rats. i hate rats. one time i screamed and jumped and my roommate said ‘you cant do that nat, i thought someone had like, a gun’ and i apologized but i know i would do it again

what if they built a subway that went all the way from new york to boston

thats just the amtrak

but if it was underground

that wouldnt be very comfortable on the benches for 4 hours, definitely not if i was standing

but it would only cost $2.90

if i was on the subway for 4 hours i would sleep on the subway

i wonder what the longest subway ride is that i could take in just one direction. maybe harlem to jfk

one time on the way to work a man in all black and sunglasses and mostly leather and a cane and top hat got on the subway. he said ‘ive got a bomb. im gonna blow you all up if you dont give me all your money and jewelry.’ and he held his top hat out as a bowl and started counting down. when he got to 0 he slammed his cane and laughed and said ‘i got you, im just joking, im gonna blow you all up, im just joking.’ the whole time no one flinched or reached for their walled or watches or anything. i sprinted off at the next stop

i still regret not telling the police on the tracks after. i thought if the train blew up itd be all my fault and i got to the office incredibly distracted

when i told my friends this story they laughed like they knew he was joking the whole time like the other people on the train

looking back he couldnt have had a bomb because he only had his cane and his hat

still.

one time a kid left his stuffed animal cookie monster on the seat. i still regret not yelling ‘HEY’ or throwing it onto the platform

one time a homeless man with diabetes asked if anyone could help him get a big mac

my roommates and i ran off the train laughing, even though it wasnt our stop

once i accidentally went on an express train and went 18 blocks too far

its extremely frustrating when the subway keeps going when you need it to stop

the whole city would shut down if the subways broke

i saw a man who looked completely fine to me get escorted off the subway. the police were waiting for him, smug, like they got there first

i think the subway is my favorite time of the day because im either reading or writing before work or leaving work, both feel nice

i like that i know no one, i like it very much