The Silence of the Subway

New York City has officially been crowned the worst commuting city.

The typical New Yorker has an average one-way commute of about 36 minutes with a horrific average of 89.4 hours spent in congestion every year.

I (Savannah) live in New York City. Thus, a greater proportion of my free time is spent on the subway in transit.

Hours and hours of my life fly by on crowded underground trains that almost never have an open seat, handrails that might give you a deadly infection, and people that give you weird stares just for trying to sit in peace. We’ve all had our rather odd encounters and experiences in the subway.

Yes, this view may seem pessimistic, and I realized this too. At the beginning of this year I began to think about how I spend my time.

All of this transit time may be a (sort of) blessing in disguise. There is nothing quite like the New York City metro system, for worse...and better.

I used to commute in annoyance but now my attitude is beginning to change. As hectic as life is, the day in the life of a typical New Yorker is insanely busy. You’re up early in the morning commuting to work, or school or other activities. And yes, you have to get up at 7 a.m. (or earlier) because you can’t afford to live close to where you work or attend school.

From the crack of dawn to sunset (and after!) New Yorkers are constantly moving. It’s a blessing and a curse. If you’re not working (at least in my personal case), you’re working on a personal project, you’re running errands, you’re cleaning, working out, eating or hanging out with friends.

Just listing all of those events makes me tired.

But, that is when the relief (yes relief) of a subway ride can be viewed as an important time of brief rest.

Once you’re down the steps, your card is swiped and you settle into the plastic bench of the subway car, you’re forced, for whatever period of time, to stop. To rest. To think.

Use this rest time to actually rest, to listen, to take a few deep breaths. I try to stay off my phone, and just sit. It’s surprisingly difficult the first few times, but it eventually gets easier.

...And then you’re left with your thoughts. For some, including myself, it was surprisingly uncomfortable.

The next time you’re on the subway, put your phone away and just look around you. I can guarantee that 80 - 90 % of people’s heads are bowed, at horribly uncomfortable angles, staring at their screens, typing away, playing mindless games, or scrolling.

I am not saying that anything is necessarily wrong with this! I do it too.

All I am suggesting is that the world becomes a different place when you put away your screens and welcome the silence.

It’s not “silent” in the subway, by any literal means. But you’re definitely alone with your thoughts.

Maybe try it out for a week. Don’t pull out your phone and just sit and really check in with yourself.

You have to commute. Why not use that time in a useful way?

When was the last time you sat and just listened to your thoughts?