THE CITY

This weekend I went to NYC for a tri-state singles conference in Manhattan. I had a great time and met a lot of great people while also connecting up with some old friends. However, rather than discuss the contents of the conference, I wish to comment on the beginning and end of the weekend. The easiest way to get from Princeton is a short 1.5 hour train ride. The station is less than half a mile from my house and takes me to the main New Jersey line where I transfer to the NY bound train. Once on the train I get off at Penn Station in New York and hop on the #1 line to the temple at Lincoln Square. Prior to spending much time in New York, I had developed the idea that the subway is full of really crazy people. Well this weekend disproved that theory and replaced it with another. It is not the subway but rather the train in and out of New York where one finds all of the crazy people. Two stories illustrate the point.

Story #1

While waiting for the train at Princeton Junction, I turned to the left to see a man standing no more than 10 feet from me. He was facing away from the platform looking back at the parking lot. I didn't think anything of it until I noticed that he was not admiring the many cars but rather peeing off the platform. I suppose he didn't mind that there were several people, including myself, around him, or that there was a restroom not 100 feet from where he was relieving himself. I slowly moved down the platform so as not to get any splash on myself or my luggage and to ensure that we were in different cars once we boarded.

Story #2

On the way home from New York I had the pleasure of sitting next to a man who found himself incredibly funny. I imagine that the majority of his time is spent discussing NASCAR, drinking beer, and scratching himself. He found it highly amusing to pass gas loudly for the entire 1.5 hour trip. Amazingly enough, this man was married. His wife was equally amused by his gastric abilities. Honestly, the first thing that came to my mind was, "We really allow these people to vote? Why do we revere a system of government that lets these types of people make decisions about how to govern our country?" The second thing that came to my mind was, "...And I'm the one that's not married. Man, what is wrong with this scene?" Needless to say, I was more than ready to disembark from the train.

Overall, I was surprised that by far the strangest and most annoying people were not on the subway in New York but rather in New Jersey. Just one more reason people speak so highly of The Garden State.

P.S. This does not at all compare to my friend Brad's experience riding a train in China. For that humorous (only because it is not happening to you) story, click HERE.