Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Seats on the train.

A friend of mine just posted on facebook about a photo she took being displayed on the Tumblr page: http://mentakingup2muchspaceonthetrain.tumblr.com, and it made me laugh, and then it made me think.

As a commuter in New York City, I am constantly and consciously trying to be as small as possible.   I am aware that there are hundreds of other people trying to cram themselves into the same small car as me, and that if I have my purse and my audition bag  - then I am taking up more than my fair share of space.  So I try to condense.  I put my bags down on the pee-covered floor, or I’ll tuck my purse into my knees and stand in a “sure to pass out soon” locked position. All for the sake of the strangers stuffing in around me.

Men Taking Up 2 Much Space On The Train makes me question – as women are we taught to be small; to cram ourselves into tiny spaces and not question it?  Whereas our male counterparts are taught that it’s acceptable to take up as much space as possible?
  
Or, is this simply a case of people being jerks, and they just happen to (more often than not) be male?  Are men taught that it’s okay to pretend like you’re the king of the N Train?  That no one else needs to sit because clearly you crappy briefcase takes precedence?   Why is it that when a pregnant woman or an elderly person gets on the train, it is almost exclusively women who stand to offer their seat?*

Once I stood to give a man my seat who was at least 75, walked with a cane and was carrying groceries.  Said man then spent the next 6 minutes (and yes I was counting the seconds until my stop came and I could flee) berating me because he wasn’t “a fucking cripple” and “he didn’t ask for my seat”.  Is that why no one ever stands up anymore? Because they’re afraid of getting yelled at by an angry Mr. Frederickson? 

Regardless, people – and yes I’m talking mostly to the men here – you need to start paying attention to the fact that you are not alone on this earth.  That in a city as crammed and busy and as occupied as New York, you don’t get to take up more than your fair share of space on the train.  If you want to spread out and lounge – take a taxi.  And for the love of God – if a pregnant women gets on the train – give her your damned seat.


*based on my experiences of course –this is not a universal truth 100% of the time for 100% of MTA cars