“crazy subway person”

Earlier tonight, just as the subway pulled up to my stop, there was a crazy person yelling. He seemed crazy, or perhaps he was just legitimately upset about some injustice done to him. Either way, his behavior seemed “crazy”. He just sort of started screaming about how “They weren’t gonna do this anymore,” or “They better stop,” or something like that. And he moved to the end of the subway car and was hitting on the door that leads to the next car, then trying to open it but also just trying to (what seemed like) make as much noise with the door as possible. Still yelling about whatever it was. 

I’m fairly certain he had been on the car already, at least since the previous stop. He did have the look of a homeless person. And I can’t be sure it was him, but there was the smell of unwashed human flesh filling the car in the few minutes before his strange behavior. 

It was quite sudden and violent, more than the average “crazy subway person” who might talk a bit loud and say strange things. And at this stop that whole end of the subway car, where I’d been sitting and where the door was which he’d been banging on, sort of emptied out. It was like he started this sudden violent fit, and people just wanted to get away. There’s no way to prove this, but I would be willing to bet money that some of those people had not intended to get off at that stop. Quite a few of them just seemed to stop after getting of the subway car and turned back to watch what he was doing, instead of actually heading for the exit. 

It’s the first weird subway behavior I’ve witnessed this week in New York City. I think yesterday there was some guy who entered my car and announced that he was selling something—newspapers, I think. Or maybe he was just asking for handouts. I’m not sure. And then he moved on to the next car. I haven’t seen anyone performing in a subway car, though I’ve seen a few musicians playing in the subway, and heard a few more. A few nights ago, there was an interesting guy playing a ukulele and singing at the southeast corner of Central park. I had my camera and I wanted to take his picture, but he shook his “no”. 

When I used to live here (like 4 or 5 years ago) my subway favorite was a mariachi band. I’m not sure if it was always the same guys. But they played pretty well and seemed to be having fun. Maybe it’s just the style of the music. Haven’t seen them this week, though.