I LOVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!

In life there are drivers, and there are riders. I am an awesome rider. Level 12 Golden Rider status. I can road trip like nobody's business. I make mixed CD's, I bring snacks, I know games, I can navigate, I will feed the driver Cheetos one by one so their hands can remain at 10 and 2, and I can hold my pee like a champ. Not having a car is like a dream come true. I don't need ANOTHER SET OF KEYS or have to pretend like I know how to parallel park. All I have to do is keep up with a little yellow metro card that fits oh so nicely in my wallet (brightens it up too), and I can go anywhere!
We live at the very tip-top of Manhattan in a lovely little area called Inwood. We are the last stop on the A-train, which is awesome because when in doubt... just hop on an A heading north and we can make it home from anywhere. It's quite a life saver after some wild nights down town. Did you know they even provide a wake-up service if you fall asleep and do not get off? Yes, it is true- somebody will come and yell and shake you! And people think New Yorkers aren't friendly... For the record- I have yet to take part in the complementary subway wake up service but I have seen it happen many times.
Ok, who wants to hear the story about my first subway ride? You do??! GREAT! Keep reading friends!
I was going to meet a long lost friend of mine who had been living here for years. Buddy was going to be heading to work, so I would be tackling this adventure on my own! He was nice enough to show me how to get a metro card and I totally watched a few people go through the gates so I'd know how to pass as a pro. It would NOT be me jamming up the line- I could just see it- angry people pushing and cursing and throwing things at me... calling me names like "tourist" and yelling "go back to Texas!" The horror!
Everything turned out great and a fun evening was had by all! I believe this was the night I found my roomie playing stickball in the middle of the street with some Austrailian guys and a Dominican guy around 2 a.m. Needless to say we took a cab home :)
The A-train is closest to us and pretty much gets me wherever I need to go, but sometimes certain trips call for the 1. I like the 1-train because it runs above ground a good bit so you get cell service. In my first attempt to get to the 1, I was walking...walking... looking... navigating... stopping... staring at the guy with the bloody shirt emerging from the stairwell... Yep, I was witnessing my first fresh stab wound! I wasn't really sure what to do. So I followed suit and kept walking... Then it hit me- I didn't see anyone running away with a knife, so the stabber was probably still down there. Great, I was going to be a part of another Law and Order episode... I had to think fast! I got on the train and tried to look poor and sickly. Nobody wants to stab a sick girl.
I love riding the subway!