Subway Adventures

Hi! Hopefully, this will be the end of the 'Sue’s Great Adventures' series for a while. I imagine you are getting tired of me cheerleading and telling you how absolutely fantastic and helpful people are... even though all that is very true! However, I did want to mention this: I rode the subway!

Admitting defeat

I was not going to do it. I wasn’t. I was afraid of it. When I had full sight, I had a habit of ending up in Brooklyn. Lord only knows what could happen since I don’t see well.

What convinced me was my feet. I walked all over yesterday and after walking from Time Square to the American Museum of Natural History, my feet were screaming! Time to try alternate transportation.

The station

I will admit, I pretty much stumbled upon the platform for the south-heading trains. If I had ended up on the northbound side I would have had to hunt up the way to cross over. There was no attendant there, but there were several ticket machines. I am able to read the screen if I put my eyes right up to it, however, I noticed there was a jack for earphones if you wanted to hear the options read to you. No clue how it works, but it is available.

The train route is on an electronic board. The board is eye-level. That made it easy to look at and decide I needed the B train.

Is this the right train?

I have to admit I was anxious waiting for the right train. While I have nothing personal against Brooklyn, it was always disconcerting when I ended up there. I double checked several times. Yes: I really do need the B train. The letters are large and bright on the front of the trains as they come in. If that won’t work for you, the board gives the letter of the next train and how soon it will pull into the station.

Getting off at the right stop

Once on the train, I had the challenge of figuring out when we had pulled into 42nd street... Come and meet those dancing feet, on the avenue I’m taking you to... or at least I hoped the train was taking me to... 42nd Street! (with apologies to Al Dublin, lyricist).

I don’t know about you, but it takes me a long time staring to decipher what I read. Signs going by at the speed of a subway train don’t get read. Also, can anyone REALLY understand the announcements? I doubt it. Fortunately, just being a dumb tourist got me help with that problem and I got off at 42nd and Bryant Park without a problem.

Once in the station I had to revert to asking and, yes, playing the blind card once more. The woman in the booth gave me wonderful directions.

Proud of my accomplishment

Truth being, I was pretty dang proud of myself! I had ridden the New York subway and I had not ended up in Brooklyn! Doesn’t seem like a big accomplishment to many but it built my confidence.

Of course, I did catch myself being a little TOO confident at times, reverting to my old faux New Yorker ways. Not thinking old, blind chick should be walking against the light; do you?

Anyway, I got to the hotel and subsequently out of the city safely. I was not mugged. I did not end up in Brooklyn and I was not roadkill. Thinking I will go back in a few months. Anybody up for an adventure?