Subway Entertainers

I try not to take the trains too often.  I prefer to take buses to wherever I'm headed.  The trains are just too crowded and hectic.  Walking through train stations makes my heart pound.  Everybody seems to either be running or cutting in front of someone else who is running.  Then there is the added stressor of getting a seat or being body checked by someone who barrels through a crowded train if they even sense someone getting up from their seat.

We also have to deal with subway musicians and other entertainers.  Who are those guys who do the flips and other acrobatics on a train?  I wonder if they've ever kicked someone when they're flipping around?  You can't go into a subway without seeing someone playing some kind of instrument with their instrument case opened in front of them with a bunch of change and a few stray dollar bills already in the case.

Delancey St. station on the Uptown F platform

 

Subway musicians are as a much a part of the NYC subway system as the transit riders themselves.  From the guys at the 34th St. Herald Square station who seem to have a preference for Michael Jackson songs, to the random rappers, a capella oldies singers, classical musicians, etc., a ride on the trains means free entertainment, whether it's wanted or not.

So what are your thoughts on subway musicians/entertainers?  Are they a welcome addition to an otherwise dreary subway ride?  Are they an all around annoyance that makes you wish for earplugs? Or does it depend on the type of mood you happen to be in that day?

Waiting For The Bus

I was recently in Michigan visiting family and while I was there, I got used to getting in a truck and going where I needed to go.  I didn't even really notice the snow or the cold because I was only outside for as long as it took for me to get in the truck.  Coming back to NYC has always been sad for me because you get used to the calm and quiet and then have to come back to the hustle and bustle.  Because I hadn't been able to take pictures while I was there, since the sidewalks weren't shoveled, I decided to cheer myself up by getting back to doing what I love.  

The weather was crisp and cool, but not bitter cold on this day.  I snapped this picture because it made me laugh since it was one of the things that I was in a funk about.  I wonder how long these people had been waiting for the bus?