Each time I make my way into Manhattan for work this year, there is a truly optimistic side that feels great being around people and working again, like things are on the up. But by the end of the day, the subway ride home usually is a reminder that things are not okay in New York City.
There is a more recent trend of less people masking on the way in versus more to most masking on the way home in the evening.
As I made my way down Eighth Avenue towards the L train this evening, I passed a man sitting on a stoop with glazed-over eyes and just as I walked by him he incoherently shouted at me. It was startling and unprovoked. There are a lot more people looking down and out hanging out on sidewalks, stoops, and outdoor dining areas. Not that unusual for New York right now, but it was a moment that set the tone for what was to come.
I entered the subway at 14th Street and Eighth Avenue and I approached the L train steps and ramp options. There's usually a good amount of foot traffic in this area with people unloading and others in a more frantic way trying to make the train they can't even see yet. Imagine being a fish and swimming your way through another school of fish going the other way.
As I walked through this area, a different incoherent shouter startled me, coming in my direction ambling about less than 6 feet from me. This one had content that was more random moments of yelling than the single foreshadowing burst earlier.
"Whew, glad that's over." Nope.
The same guy made his way to my subway car before it left the station. The erratic movements made me immediately recall a video that has been circulating in previous weeks of a guy shouting and moving about violently on a New York City subway car. The newscaster acknowledges there are "able-bodied men" in the area that are somehow responsible for rectifying the situation. The video is from SkyNews so maybe a more Australian attitude and you should see their unfiltered commentary on our President and Vice President.
On my subway ride, I realized that people were looking at me for some sort of backup if things got weirder which they easily could have. I too looked to others with a more frantic face when I was being assaulted by a man for taking a picture years ago around Canal Street. No one wanted to help. No one did.
More than anything during the shouting episode I felt more awful for whatever this guy was going through that led him to this point of terrorizing other people. Whatever I was experiencing was nowhere near as disturbing as what led this man down this path. Can we figure out why this happening so visibly to so many people in New York City? This isn’t a gun problem. Pretty sure this dude wasn’t packing. I don't mean to go fringe here, but I have seen such gross incompetence in leadership (DeCrapio and DeCrapio 2: Eric Adams). Should I ask if this is intentional?
A group of younger guys giggled at the absurdity of this shouter. The whole thing just made me kinda sad and at that moment I was doing some deeper listening to a podcast that isn't for the passive listener. Moe Factz with Adam Curry has illuminated many facets of history and culture I was unaware of, but on this evening I struggled to pay attention to the shouting on the subway car. What a crime, a guy can't listen to his podcast. I just felt an unusual dissonance between the podcast material and what was unfolding.
The guy got off at First Avenue just before the tunnel. But not before angrily displacing a woman in some sort of medical uniform that was pink. "Whew" for real this time.
The giggling group of young guys took over as the main feature of action or rather people conversing not looking at a phone. They shared a vape liberally and yeah there was only chin masking if you're asking (we have much larger problems). This group of guys eventually sat down on the bench next to me and I had regained my focus on the serious storytelling on the podcast I was listening to.
The guys on the bench next to me got up at a point and were remarking about an insect I was not immediately aware of. Eventually, when the small roach made its way toward me one of the guys tapped me and then I realized what was up. Event these vaping dudes had the decency to let me know something was up. At this point I was feeling so gruff from the ride, I just blew on the roach to convince it to go the other way not getting up from my seat. The roach was a sort of tipping point of bullshit for me despite being the less startling event.
Yep, lots more zombies.
Today on the bus the 30something woman beside me was cracking her fingers, making some one tone gutteral noise and then decided to cross her legs over in front of me.
I moved but I don't think that she even knew that I existed.
The old woman on her last legs across from me kept tapping on her stupid nose cone, so I nodded and smiled at her.
A man across the aisle wanted to know if the el cheapo box that I had just bought ( for shed storage) was an antique.
People don't much annoy me nowadays, I just think that they are on the way to zombie land.
Nice to be back home.