The first time I rode the 7 train I was a two-month-old baby being carried around in a baby basket. The last time I rode the 7 train was the day before yesterday, and the next time I'll ride it is tomorrow. In case you haven't noticed, I'm one of the many people who depend on the 7 train to get to school/work almost everyday.
I'm inclined to be a bit more lenient on the train service itself, since things have actually improved a bit. Signal problems still happen but are much less frequent, 'train traffic' lasts for maybe a minute or two at most, the air conditioning has gotten colder by approximately two degrees, and the color-coded light lets me determine from a distance if an approaching train is local or express and whether I should get in position or step back. It's not much but hey, I'll take what I can get.
One of the biggest problems I have with the 7 train is that it stops at Citi Field, and as a result becomes several times more unbearable than usual whenever there's a Mets game or the US Open. You get fans (whether they are drunk or sober depends on the time) decked out in team apparel, standing right in the middle of the aisle with their legs spread apart or sprawled in the seat like they're trying to take up as much room as possible, talking loudly about the match while complaining about people talking on their cell phones, how crowded the train is, and in some cases the ethnicities of the other riders. Pot, let me introduce you to kettle. Hey guys? Believe it or not, many of us can understand English just fine.
That isn't to say that the regulars are all complete angels, either. If you ride the subway on a regular basis (this applies to all subway lines, not just the 7 train) there are certain kinds of people you're sure to run into. For the benefit of those lucky enough to have never taken an NYC subway, I will now attempt to jump into their heads.
"Stand clear of the closing doors, please!" Hey, guess that means I should attempt to shove my way into the already packed train car even though there's another train right behind this one! I'm holding up hundreds of people because the train doors keep closing on my backpack/shoe/arm/etc.? Who cares, at least I'm on the train.
Someone sitting halfway across the car just got up! Alright, I'd better rush over there and shove aside anyone standing between me and that seat. If anyone doesn't notice me and move out of the way before I say 'excuse me' they're being incredibly rude since they're blocking me on purpose and just pretending they didn't notice me standing behind them.
Ooh, there's a pole that goes from the floor to the ceiling. Yes, I know people have to hold on to that pole if they're too short to reach the overhead poles, but who cares about them? My comfort's more important though so I see no problem with leaning my entire body against the pole. Some people, however, grab onto the pole anyway and dig their fingers into my back, or even ask me to move away with annoyed expressions. Can you believe them? How rude.
Wow, the train's actually not that crowded today. Alright, I'll ignore all this free space and stand right in front of the door so I can block half the entrance. People keep bumping into me when they get on and off; how inconsiderate can they get?
So yeah, the 7 train? It's getting better. Just ignore the people and you'll be fine. read more