Nothing brightens a New Yorker’s day more than hearing about their coworker’s crappy morning (especially if it was worse than theirs). Today, VPM Executive Assistant, Ana Perez, talks to us about her daily commuting struggles as a west side resident.
“My commute to work is usually the most draining part of my day. The best part about it is that I live in Manhattan, and yet it still takes me longer to get to work than some of my colleagues who commute from Long Island or even New Jersey. I also have to take two trains because I live on the west side and Village Print & Media is on the ever-so-chic east side.
The absolute worst parts of my journey are the two subway rides that are inevitable to my daily commute. If I don’t manage to get a seat on the train, I spend an hour squished between all sorts of people. In the summer, it is especially fun to be 5’2″ and stuck under some hairy guy’s stinky armpit. When my train pulls into the station, I try to avoid a car that has any of the following:
- Chatty Cathy. When it’s barely 8:00am, I do not care about what’s going on with your kids or your pets.
- Farters. There is always one of them. What do you eat that makes you so gassy in the morning?!
- Incompetent New Yorkers who don’t understand personal space. You know these guys: The train isn’t full, and yet they choose to sit close enough that I can smell their body odor. Would you mind giving me at least half an inch of space? Thanks.
- Children. I mostly avoid kids who are crying and kicking, if I’m unfortunate enough to be within their reach.
- People eating. The smell of the subway is nauseating enough without the scent of fast food in the mix.
- Tourists. Yeah, New York City is cool. Now get out of my way.
I could go on and on about all of the characters I encounter daily on my commute, but I’ll leave you with the all-stars above. Happy Thursday!