Friday, January 19, 2007

City Transport Skills

While living in Los Angeles I became quite good at looking ahead while driving on the city's highways. The best drivers acquired this skill because ultimately they had to plot out their route to get around the slowpokes in their way. Another key to decreasing traffic is to learn how to properly merge on and off major highways or roads. Someone who couldn't merge correctly would end up causing a lot of aggrevation to those impatiently waiting behind. These transportation skills were essential to get anywhere in a timely matter and avoid traffic pitfalls in the jungles of Los Angeles. Lately I've noticed that the same skills are necessary here in Manhattan, most just don't use metal cages on wheels with bad music blaring.

Here people jockey for position within the subway cars or buses. I know I'm very aware when my stop is coming so I can move closer to the doors in order to beat slower people up the stairs and out of the station. In the morning I get out at a very busy subway station. Inevitably there are close to 80 people who take my chosen exit and climb the three sets of stairs up and out. Typically I will use the skills I acquired on the LA roads to manuever myself closest to the exit by constantly merging into gaps left by slower folk. It could shave off an incredible 10 seconds from my commute time. And we all know time is money.

It was surprising to learn that transportation skills can be used regardless if you're in a car. I don't know why it came as an epiphany on my commute this morning, but I'm glad it did because it connects what I learned in LA with my present life in NYC. For some reason, that was comforting to know.

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