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As Spotted on the Subway NYC

The Lady

MetroCardNew York City is a true 24 hour city, expressed particularly through it’s subway system, the country’s lone rail system that fully operates 24/7. With these odd hours come all sorts of odd people, particularly on the Subway, the great melting pot of the City. One recent ride to JFK Airport in the wee hours of the morning brought a lady in a faded red coat on to the E train as it hurtled into Queens.

As if she had just paid a visit to the grocery store, the lady surrounded herself with shopping bags as she boarded the car. As she settled down the aisle from me, she proceeded to remove a cup of tea from a Dunkin’ Donuts bag, which she set along the left middle door. Next, a cup of coffee arose from a Burger King bag, ending up along the left back door. Finally, a Dunkin’ Donuts cup of coffee appeared, which didn’t fare nearly as well as its predecessors, spilling all over the floor.

That’s when the lady lost it. She began to scream what sounded to be gibberish repeatedly for the next several stops. After the first couple of stops, I began to make out profanity interspersed with the nonsense. Quickly, the car began to empty, but being a gluten for punishment, I stayed put.

After the screaming came to an end, the lady proceeded to pace what was now her territory, occasionally drinking from the remaining, randomly dispersed cups. The bags moved from one door to the next. It was now clear that these were not grocery bags, but well worn, non-matching retail bags, filled with a variety of cloth-like accouterments. Next the remaining beverages swapped to different doors. As the lady continued to inch closer to me, I was more than happy to reach Jamaica (Queens, that is).

As I rushed towards the AirTrain, I had to wonder, “Who are you lady?” “Where are you going?” and “Why where you simultaneously sipping 3 hot beverages?” Short of another 4:00am Subway ride, I may never know.

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By Aaron

Hey there! I'm Aaron and this is my travel site, where I document my adventures to all corners of the world. My love for travel started at the ripe old age of four, when a midlife crisis uprooted my family to Ecuador for five years. Since then, I've been to countries on 4 different continents. When I'm not blissfully on the road, I reside in New York City, where I become the ultimate travel junkie and spend my days dreaming up my next great adventure! Read More...

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