[sdiy] way OT: what's the dilly with subways in Philly?

[anthony]

Here's a totally random thought (not stochastic like usual): A few years ago 
I visited Philedelphia, PA and loved almost every minute of it in spite of 
the company I was in, my bitch ex-girlfriend. So we walked across town from 
an apartment just east of West Philly, saw the sights - it was weird how 
high the security was at all the landmarks, the year being 2002 - which were 
very cool. Took a bus to South Street (or "Sout' Street" as the announcer on 
the bus said), had a philly cheese steak and a beer, went to Zipperhead then 
we took the subway back. I'd never ever ridden on a subway anywhere before 
(well I'd been on the El in Chicago when I was a toddler and there was the 
Iron Horse Festival in the town I grew up in and you could ride a steam 
train from Logansport, IN to France Park and back), but I was still 
surprised to see near zero white people on the subway. And for the life of 
me I couldn't figure it out. The subway wasn't nasty and it was a convenient 
way to get back home after a long day of walking. IS having a car to drive 
around some kind of status thing? Friends from NY say every and all kinds of 
people ride the subway. Maybe driving in NY is way more of a hassle. So I 
guess it must come down to a socioeconomic thing.

I think if I ever moved to Philly, I'd still ride the subway. It was 
fascinating waiting in the station; you could tell the train was approaching 
because it was pushing all the air in front of it, you could feel it, 
subsonic and almost menacing and you could see the big fans down there to 
keep people strain against the pressure and then there it was.


cheers,
aa