While wandering the city looking to capture moments, with a rolling back of wardrobe options, along with Ali and her camera, we stumbled upon this entry way. Right away I noticed the gold, the classic subway sign and the closed gate to the subway entrance.
To be real, if this station was open, I may not have been as brave to go in there. This is when I come clean about something. I am very brave about many things, but there are some things way beyond my scope of bravery, like the subway.
I am not brave enough to ride the subway alone. I have done it, but trust me, I pretty much dry cry the entire time. What I call “dry cry” is me crying internally while looking brave externally not shedding an actual tear. When you go underground in the city to the subway, it is a wild place at an intense pace in which everyone knows exactly where they are going and between that movement is packed with randomness, sketchy looking people, a rat or two and a not so awesome scent.
I haven’t traveled the world solo without being diligent about my surroundings and safety. So, as soon as I go down those steps to walk through those gates every alert in my brain goes off, sounding danger- danger with alarm bells ringing. To be alert underground on the subway track one must keep your head on a swivel, you never know what’s coming next. It is exhausting and hella stressful.
Keep in mind, I have collected data first hand and had a man take a shit on the subway in my car between stops. Just like that, four feet from me. Yes, that was my last time on the subway circa 2016. As for collected news currently it isn’t any safer. So let’s not call me chicken shit right away, this is about taking the data I collected and keeping myself out of the chaos.
So, yes, we all have our fears. The subway is one of mine, not feeling safe is another. To me, some risks are just not worth taking, but the subway is such a part of the city. A part that I will just not be connected with and that’s ok. I can still share the magic of this doorway to the gated subway entrance. It was a serendipitous find.
