Trifter

Penguins or Hhumns?

An elevated train platform in NY in the winter is the best place to be exposed to abundant, gelid blasts of wind. People with thick coats waits to board the train and groups in the spots where the doors will open. The image is surprisingly similar to those of some popular scientific footage from Antarctica: Humans or Penguins?

Nicely Dressed People

No matter how long is the commute -or how expensive or less comfortable a nice suite/dress can be, or even how bad can be the “squeeze” (see below)- you may still find extremely well-dressed ladies and gentlemen, with great attention to all details, including shiny belts, glitters and buttons.

Personal Space Anyone?

Did you know that there is a portion of space surrounding each of us and an invisible “border” for that particular proximal region, in a normal situation? If one trespasses it, either she/he is a loved one or an enemy, possibly seeking to fight. Well …, a good exception is the NY subway. At rush hour, if you need to take the subway, you may find yourself literally squeezed in a crowd of people you never meet before (smells, cough coups, sneezes and steps-on-my-toes are optional).

2010 and Still Jerked Around

The NY subway is one of the oldest systems of its kind, but also a pioneer of subways, and is still pretty much the fastest and most practical way to move around in the Big Apple. Yet, you could be jerked pretty badly, when the wagon stops or starts moving or accelerates. No matter great progresses in material sciences, nano-materials, electromagnetism that would allow better clutches, suspensions and wagon to wagon joints; one still can get shaken pretty badly here.

Noises

Squeaky brakes often go well past your ears pain threshold. Same do many loudspeakers, placed in bad places and with badly tuned volume. Many people do not really care or realize that their earphones spread nice or -mostly- hugly tunes, well beyond their ears.

Music

Whether reggae, tribal, gospel, jazz, funky, ethnic … or done playing trombones, violins, voices, electronic pianos, self made instruments and even improvised guitars (from fruit containers!) and drums, the music played in NY subways can be the best. A friend, expert musician, told me he had problems in deciding which music was overall the best: the one played in NY subway (for free) or the one in Seattle’s night clubs (for a fee).

Healthy Air

Did ever happen to you to look inside a NY subway tunnels and to stare at one of the lights far in the tunnel? Can you see…. fog?!? Yes fog! Well, likely no garden morning dew; rather dust and nano-particles from braking and running wagons. Here, let me suggest one good idea: we need plants in the subway….Yes, plants. A simple light type/fixture upgrade and plenty of water would be enough to have in place the most natural and inexpensive air purification system! (Please, if you are a city official and you are going to propose/realize this idea, be fair enough to send over some royalties)

Written Things

I can’t understand who is writing what on the trains and on the walls of the tunnels of NY subway. How and when they get there? More important, what are they trying to say and to whom? What message are delivering? Most of the phrases, words and acronyms, even if colorful and often artistic, are totally incomprehensible, at least to most of us.

Subway Rodents

Yes, even in the busiest Penn Station at rush hour. They surely evolved excellent wheels and electrified tracks avoidance skills, together with a taste for human snacks and junk food remnants. It would be surely a nice scientific project to study more these new ecological niches. Anyone already doing it?

Technology
Whether the latest e-book readers or 3g cell phones or net-books, NY subway seems to be one of the best “live” showcase for the latest, nicest, smallest electronic gadgets and relative users.