The other day on the subway, I sat across from ruthless North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. Either that, it was somebody's Korean grandmother. Tough call.
Speaking of crazy people …
I have tickets to see a special screening of "The Room," widely credited with being the "Citizen Kane" of bad movies (having seen the Riff Trax version, I'm inclined to agree with that assessment). The screening will feature a special appearance by the film's writer/director/star Tommy "You're Tearing Me Apart!" Wiseau.
The problem is, like many cult film outings, this is a midnight showing, meaning I wouldn't get back to Astoria until well after 2 a.m. I don't mind staying up late. What worries me is having to take the subway back.
I had a scary experience a couple of Saturdays ago where I was riding the train back from a party.* Riding in my car at about 2 a.m. was a very loud, angry and potentially violent man whose incoherent shouts included insights about Obama, 9/11, Caucasians and Chinese people (why the Chinese were singled out over Asians such as the Japanese and Laotians, I don't know).
I understand running into the occasional hoodlum whacked out on crunk juice and crack is par for the course of living here, but I'd rather avoid these situations if I can. It shook me up, some, and I'm thinking of ditching the movie. I'd take a cab at least part of the way back, but I'm very short on funds, now. I'm open to advice.
* For some reason at this party, sticking a copy of the Wall Street Journal into a light fixture seemed like a really important idea to me.
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Best advice my mom ever gave me was about cost-benefit analysis. Is going to the movie worth the discomfort/fear/anxiety you might feel about getting back home?
ReplyDeleteYou may recall me freaking out prior to my trapeze lesson, but it was totally worth that 15 minutes of anxiety beforehand. Then again, my sense of acceptable discomfort and anxiety might be a few standard deviations from the norm.
That's a hard one. I don't ride public transport (other than cabs) by myself, alone, ever. Safety in numbers. Even though I was only "mugged" once, and it was unsuccessful (due to my violent kicking) and it was even in Savannah, not New Orleans... well, I'd rather not repeat the incident with someone over 15 and armed.
ReplyDeleteI know it's supposed to be different for guys, bopping around cities alone at night, but I think that's bullshit. What? Are guys less penetrable by bullets or knife wounds? Pah-to-the-lease.
So, if you really want to go, I'd say if a cab is unaffordable, get a friend to go and you crash at their place, or they crash at yours.
Subways after eleven are a bad idea. Subways after eleven Alone are a really bad idea. Finding a place to stay is an acceptable solution. Saving your money so you have more for the next time something like this comes up also works. That is my two cents.
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