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Watch NYers' Hearts Break As They JUST Miss The Subway Train
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 21, 2016
Modified Jul 11, 2016
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 21, 2016
Modified Jul 11, 2016
Share
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Video by Jessica Leibowitz
There is no quintessential NYC experience quite like running down a subway station platform with your arms flapping all about like a distressed penguin, making eye contact with the conductor, and then hesitantly stretching out your hand to try to slip between the doors before they close. For every time they re-open, they're just as likely to slam shut in your face, leaving you gazing at your own disconsolate reflection in the greasy window as the train rolls away forever. We've all been the woman at the airport having a complete meltdown, and we've all been the person who has spilt coffee on themselves from subway-induced sighing.
Frustration is the glue that binds our city together, and in that spirit, we set out to document New Yorkers struggling to commute from point A to point B without incurring an interminable wait at point A because they JUST missed the train by mere seconds WHY GOD DID I STOP FOR COFFEE? In the video above, you'll find that particular reflection of the commuter experience—the exasperation, the anger, the heartbreak, the occasional joy, the far-too-frequent embarrassment, and the third-rail of defeat.
This isn't about mockery—it's about empathizing with straphangers in our collective daily struggle to get where we're going. And if you can't recognize your face in their expressive faces, you may have an undocumented case of transit prosopagnosia. Seek help!
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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