Every day last year, I took the subway to school. Every afternoon, I took the subway home. In the mornings, I always took the subway at the exact same time. I learned that the best time to catch the train was at 7:39, and if not, 7:44. Otherwise, I would be too late or too early for school. Since I took the train at the same time every day, I started to see familiar faces.
I never talked to the subway people, but I noticed them. I noticed the same tall man who would get on the train at 2nd Street station, and would always stand, whether there was a seat available or not.
One week, I saw the same elderly couple seated next to each other, three days in a row. They were cute, they would sit and chat. I found it odd that I saw them three days in a row, then never again.
At Girard, there would be four girls, a year or two younger than me, who always took the subway together. They reminded me of a comic book from when I was younger, so I thought of them as the Babysitters Club. They would always get on the train together. The way they would talk reminded me of my sister and her friends, they were all very alike. A few months later, I would only see two of the girls, then eventually one from time to time.
There are many misconceptions of the subway. As dangerous as the subway can be, and I acknowledge that, I think that most people stay to themselves. I’ve had very few experiences on the subway where I felt that I was in danger, but that doesn’t mean I am not paying attention to my surroundings.
Now, I take the subway a lot less. When I’m at my dad’s house, I take the Broad Street Line for 3 stops, and my mom drives me to school most of the time. The subway isn’t a negative experience for me, it just takes more time. The times that I do take the subway are nostalgic for me, and remind me of my old subway people, and I wonder where they have gone.