It may still be a while till the autumnal equinox, but for most New Yorkers this is this last week of summer. Maybe that’s why there are so many white pants about on my way to work today. There’s a well known rule that white pants are forbidden in the Northeast after Labor Day, and people are trying to squeeze as much summer as they possibly can into these final seven days. More beach, more outings, more summer flings. More white pants.
As I walk into the station I spot Scott S. about a block behind me. I can hear a train pulling into the station and there is a mad rush to through the turnstiles. I don’t understand, since the train is an uptown, but I get closer and I see there is also a downtown train and I run downstairs. I make the train, but only because it is being held at the station.
An Orthodox woman with a black top and flowery skirt runs into the train just as the doors start to close, and her red leather handbag gets caught in between. She grabs hold of the straps with both hands, leans back, and tries to pull it free, like a little girl playing tug of war. The woman is scolded by the conductor before the doors open just wide enough to free the bag.
Sitting across from me is heavy set Hispanic woman, wearing black pants and a black t-shirt with a blue sweater above it. The sweater does not match, and the metallic clasps on her sandals make me cringe when I notice them. The woman is eyeing me suspiciously. I eye back. She looks away momentarily then shuts her eyes for two minutes, and we repeat the process a few more times before she finally gets off.
At 59th I run into Sara S. and we talk about the weekend. She went parasailing with some friends and I went biking and visited my friend Rachel who has just moved into a new apartment. As far as end of summer activities are concerned, she definitely has me beat.
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