The simple act of getting from A-B in New York City can be a nightmare. Between the people who have no respect for your personal space, and those who just have to spark up a conversation, there is often little room for you to zone out and find your happy space.
Somewhere in the 270k New Yorkers who work outside the city, and the 2.9 million people who both live and work here, you’ll find a lot of easy to categorize behaviors. Here’s our list of the 7 kinds of NYC commuters, so you play a game of commuter-bingo:
1. The Bookworms
They’ve got their noses buried in everything from Danielle Steel to Franz Kafka, in hardback, paperback or tablet. Some of them even read while they’re walking, using what we can only imagine is some weird kind of bat-like sonar. Like rocks in a stream, the rest of the commuters pour around them as they slowly meander through the station.
2. The Chatty Kathy’s/Kenny’s
What was it exactly that made you think I wanted to talk? Was it the fact that I was avoiding eye contact? …or the fact that I’m wearing headphones?
3. The Manspreaders
Plenty of literature on this one already …but trust us, dude, there’s nothing in there that warrants your legs to be so far apart.
4. The Munchers
Why cook and eat at home when you can do it on a packed bus/train in front of a large audience? These “Martha Stewart” wannabes come in all kind of flavors, from those who are just content dig into a sandwich, to those who will go the whole hog and actually make something live.
5. The Pack Mules
They carry a briefcase, a backpack, and a gym bag. And probably a snack. Kudos to you for planning ahead and getting in your workout every day, while the rest of us go home, sit on the couch and eat leftovers.
6. The Narcoleptics
7. The Tardy Charley’s
8. Those who just HAVE to stand near the doors
You have to squeeze past them as you’re getting on, and off… why? Because of those few valuable seconds they need to save getting on and off the train/bus.
Featured image source [funnyordie]