Sunday, November 30, 2008
New Years Plans
I realized the other day, as I was planning my trip home for winter break, that I have never spent New Year's outside of Iowa. This needs to change. I know it's late to start planning, but does anyone want to try to get together for a few days? Alternatively, if anyone has plans that I can leach onto that would be cool. There's like a 75% chance that I end up in the Bay area after graduation, so I would definitely be up for spending some time out there if people are around. Colorado is always fun too, if we're looking for a place where we know people...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Are you fucking kidding me NY?
Today I took the subway to work, like I always do. I have never felt worse in my life than when I got off.
Most of the time, the train I take has no seats, people are always standing. A stop after I got on, a seat opened up and I settled back to take a nap until I got to work. As soon as the train reaches 53rd and Lex, in midtown east, it sort of empties out. A homeless guy got on and sat in the row of seats opposite me. At this time, there was a guy sitting about one seat apart from the homeless guy (approximately, because it's just one long bench), and another person next to this guy. A few stops later, as the train further emptied, and I was drifting in and out of sleep, I noticed that the non-homeless well-to-do NY banker guy had gotten up and moved down the car to another bench.
Further, as people got on, the entire bench where the homeless guy was sitting remained empty, and no one sat there even though there were no other seats. I was dumbstruck. How could people treat other people this way?
Another homeless person had been sitting quietly in a corner at the end of the same corner, with 3 large plastic garbage bags in front of her (the person was wearing a hood, so I couldn't discern gender). The bags were filled with what I guessed was empty plastic bottles and other recyclable material. The person got off at Penn Station, but before the doors closed, stepped back into the car and handed the other homeless guy a few dollars. I was amazed.
I planned to give the homeless guy some money before I got off, but I thought I had no cash. I later checked my wallet and did have $7, which I wished I had given to the guy on the train. As I write this, I am still feeling sick to my stomach at the way the guy was treated, even though he didn't show that he was affected by the people around him. I hope I never treat anybody like this, ever.
Most of the time, the train I take has no seats, people are always standing. A stop after I got on, a seat opened up and I settled back to take a nap until I got to work. As soon as the train reaches 53rd and Lex, in midtown east, it sort of empties out. A homeless guy got on and sat in the row of seats opposite me. At this time, there was a guy sitting about one seat apart from the homeless guy (approximately, because it's just one long bench), and another person next to this guy. A few stops later, as the train further emptied, and I was drifting in and out of sleep, I noticed that the non-homeless well-to-do NY banker guy had gotten up and moved down the car to another bench.
Further, as people got on, the entire bench where the homeless guy was sitting remained empty, and no one sat there even though there were no other seats. I was dumbstruck. How could people treat other people this way?
Another homeless person had been sitting quietly in a corner at the end of the same corner, with 3 large plastic garbage bags in front of her (the person was wearing a hood, so I couldn't discern gender). The bags were filled with what I guessed was empty plastic bottles and other recyclable material. The person got off at Penn Station, but before the doors closed, stepped back into the car and handed the other homeless guy a few dollars. I was amazed.
I planned to give the homeless guy some money before I got off, but I thought I had no cash. I later checked my wallet and did have $7, which I wished I had given to the guy on the train. As I write this, I am still feeling sick to my stomach at the way the guy was treated, even though he didn't show that he was affected by the people around him. I hope I never treat anybody like this, ever.
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