“. . .Not all those who wander are lost; . . ." – J.R.R. Tolkien

My team didn't win last weekend. We had fun in the big city, though. Our son took us all over Manhattan and Brooklyn, walking, eating, looking around. We visited some museums, sat in the sun, and enjoyed each other's company.
As we traveled, I heard from other visitors that the NY subway system was under siege. I was told it's dangerous, and the government needed to bring in the armed forces to keep the peace. Be careful, they said.
I didn't see it.
It may be true somewhere, but my son, the daily-subway-user, didn't mention dealing with it, and everything seemed normal. It was so normal that instead of waiting for a car, I convinced some of my travel companions to join me in the mass-transit experience. We headed in, used our phones to pay the toll, jumped on a train, and 10 minutes later jumped out at our stop. It was flawless.
This led to them telling the rest of the crowd about how easy it was. The sports arena sits right on top of the station! We're only a couple of stops away. Greg knows!
After a fantastic dinner, we took the whole crew on to the subway to get to our game. First hiccup: the train we rode in on was hving issues, so we switched to another line. Second Hiccup: the subway turnstiles didn't like my phone this time. Third hiccup: the subway car was packed to the max because it was early evening. Fourth hiccup: the train didn't move and no reason was given. Fifth issue: when it finally started up, it crawled along about 5 miles an hour.
You get the point. It was nothing like the morning experience and I felt the white-hot judgment of my companions, even if I couldn't see them in the mass of humanity stuffed on the train.
But the challenges weren't over!
Madison Square Garden sits on top of a subway station, but it's Penn Station. Even though it only has 11 platforms, and serves just over 6000,000 people a day, it's surprisingly confusing. In the morning, we went down one set of stairs and to the train. In the evening we wandered, oh, I don't know, maybe 3/4 of a mile? Where is MSG exactly? Again, I feel judged.
Right as things get desperate, we emerge from the underground right in front of the arena.
Ahh travel.
Needless to say, my navigational skills were not called upon during the rest of the trip.
But it's in the past. I'm over it.
(almost)
PS: The big dance starts today, Thursday. I am writing this now while I can predict my mood! Go Jays!
|