Morning Manners

For as long as I live in New York City, I will still be surprised by certain things. Y'all know I'm not really from 'round here, so I moved with all the same preconceived notions and stereotypes that still plague my relations down South, that New Yorkers were pushy, rude, fast-paced, and otherwise generally undesirable. And while I can say that things do move quicker up here cause ain't nobody got time to hem and haw about what kinda bagel they want, people in Manhattan are not generally rude at all.

Now, we will squeeze into a packed subway car and if you get bumped in the process then that's just too damn bad honey, cause we got places to go. Anyway, I digress. I was saying how New Yorkers will surprise you when you aren't even paying attention. So, the Manhattan morning commute is just about one of the worst experiences of my life, though I've never really commuted in automobile traffic so I'm probably not the authority on this one (can you imagine!). I have told you how we all hustle underground and wait in sticky, smelly, cement tunnels for an overcrowded train to arrive, which lets no one off but fits 10 more people on. However, the train this morning was practically empty, I mean there were still 40 folks in each car, but since no one was touching me I consider it a ghost town. I attribute this great vacancy to the fact that it's summer and apparently there are people who can afford to take a vacation somewhere off this stifling island. That, or the fact that I was way late and everyone had already made their commute, but whatever.

So, after the first stop, two actual seats open up and there are a couple of us standing that could take them and I'll be damned if the man next to me didn't ask if I would like to sit first! I mean to tell you chivalry is not dead in underground New York. We can be as liberated and equalized as you want in the high-rise office buildings, but on public transportation, every man is a gentleman and every woman a lady. You would be hard-pressed to see a pregnant woman, elderly person, or even a young child standing on a subway, because as soon as they enter everyone nearby offer their seat.

New Yorkers may be brusk and in a rush, and I'm still just a little afraid of the guy behind the deli counter, but you won't find better commuting companions anywhere.