Okay so I’m almost never on time. This wasn’t always true, but lately I’ve been getting really unlucky when it comes to riding the train and going somewhere. Perfect example was last week. I had to be at work by 4:30..So of course I left my Washington Heights apartment 30 minutes prior to work in midtown because if everything goes right (all trains are on time), I should only be 15 minutes late, tops (yea i said late lol a little late is always good lol sometimes). This usually works out but last week the craziest thing happened.
I’m on the 1 train headed downtown to transfer to the express train because I needed to get off at 34th street. We all know that 96th is the first time you can transfer trains, coming from the uptown 1. Transferring trains here is imperative to me only being a few minutes late for work compared to extremely late (15min<late).
So right before the 103 stop (the one right before 96) a lady across the train from me starts to make a crazy face in my direction. At first it was anger, then it graduated to worry, then pity, all before her eyes rolled in the back of her head. By the 3rd face I realized she was about to have a seizure. I should have yelled something out, I should have nudged someone, I should have just tried to help. I wanted to do something but I wasn’t sure what to do. Honestly, in retrospect I guess I kept thinking someone else would see her. I was wrong, she was dying for about 30 seconds before everyone decided to notice her foaming at the mouth and shaking in the middle of the cabin. I mean she actually looked like she was a fish out of water. So many people were trying to look away until someone yelled out “She’s having a seizure” followed by everyone then acting as if she appeared in the middle of the train out of no where. I was furious at this time because I immediately knew this was going to add an hour onto my already 10-15 minute lateness. I mean do I do feel bad though, I should have been worrying about her health, but instead I had thoughts of taking a picture to prove to my boss why I was going to be late.
The worst part about this situation is while I was watching it all go down, I was just praying….praying that the conductor would at least go to 96 before stopping the whole train at the most inconvenient stop on the line, 103. Of course he stopped the train immediately, consequently pissing me off and I was sure some other people as well. After 45 minutes woman was removed and we were ready to go. I jokingly said out loud that it was rude of the conductor to stop the train one stop early of the transfer station, completely with no regard for that random woman’s immediate health. To my surprise, half the train agreed with me laughing as well. Moral of the story is…New Yorkers are rude.. Mainly because people are probably late to be somewhere. Or at least that is my excuse.