My infrequent trips on the subway are always quite the experience for me especially when they occur during rush hour.
Today's trip was quite interesting. Its the beginning of the evening rush hour or more correctly the evening rush period, since rush hour is closer to a 3 hour span than an hour, and the subways are crowded but not yet packed to capacity. That means that all seats are occupied but the aisles are still not completely crowded.
However, one lady sits alone. She came into the subway, placed her fancy Yves Saint Laurent bag down on the seat next to her and took out a book with which she became immediately quite engrossed . Well pardon me I guess she paid two fares, one for her and one for the bag. Now in 99% of cases with the subway as packed as it was someone would enter, say excuse me and make her move her bag. However that was not the case today. It was the weirdest thing watching as folk who obviously wanted a seat stood and didn't say anything to this lady.
Now I was sitting and normally I'll give up my seat to a lady or the elderly especially if I'm not going that far on the line but today they were some ladies standing close to my seat and although I really wanted to get up and give them a seat I refused because there was a perfectly legit seat with a bag in it and no one was attempting to sit there. I'll be damned if I'm standing and an inanimate object rides in more comfort than me.
Anyway, I thought that this was truly phenomenal and then as my mind is apt to do I began to think what would have happened if it was my bag in the chair. I'm almost 100% sure someone would have made me move it.
But then again no one usually wants to sit next to me in the subway. Subway rule number 265. Any seat immediately next to a black man not wearing a suit will remain empty for as long as possible or until all other seats are occupied. Trust me on this one if you haven't noticed it already because I've observed this phenomena for years. I swear its enough to drive any brother to have feelings of inadequacy but oh well its not my fault that the average subway rider still has subconscious fears of people like me.
3 comments:
I can't believe the bag had a seat and I can't see myself standing and not saying anything..no sir,not me.BTW,you must wear suits -how bout a tie then?
a bow tie you say? ya think I turn nation of islam now?
actually my comment on fear is not based on what happens to me alone. my comments are also not based on a one off experience or observation. its been years I've been examining how most young black men are treated on the subway. 9 times out of 10 the last seat taken will be that besides a black man
why should I wear a suit? nuhbody doan pay me ta dress up an i duz drink sprite an dem say image aint evating
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