A couple things I’ve observed recently while riding mass transit:

Hey! MTA, put the public address speakers INSIDE your subway cars. So your passengers can hear them? You can do both guys- inside and outside. When we’re stopped at First Ave and 90% of the passengers have their white ear buds in, listening to Grizzly Bear, it becomes a necessity. I’m usually the one squinting like a maniac to hear the announcement. As if squinting is going to make me hear better. 90% of the time I can’t make out what they’re announcing. I could squint better…

Asking another passenger “what is going on” is not an option. If you miss that announcement, you’re winging it the rest of the way.

Standing in the yellow line as the train is coming is exhilirating. What a treat. That bubble of wind hits you in the face. A face, mere inches from a locomotive. Breathtaking. Equally exciting is when you are on the platform, trying to pass someone on the outside of the yellow line. And their back is turned to you. You have no idea if they’ll abruptly shift and knock you onto the tracks. Frenzy!

Not sure if this applies to others- I’ve noticed it particularly on the L train… Anyone else detect a distinct smell that precedes an oncoming train? It’s the smell of air freshener. It smells like flowers. Its as if giant, pink urinal cakes are strapped to the front of the trains.

Commuters who are rocking a Kindle or other ebook reader are still looked at as “weird early-adopters”.

Lastly, people who wrap themselves around the pole in the middle of the car, while others are clamoring for a little piece of pole real estate, should be tarred and feather. They need to be made examples of. Put them on a Judas Cradle in the middle of Union Square. Their indifference to the needs of fellow commuters should not go unpunished.