I am a little late with this week's post and that is because I was out of town for a family wedding. However flying in and out of the city provided me with an excellent opportunity to talk about something essential to NYC, transportation.
We've all heard of the stereotypical "rude New Yorker." Let me tell you, nothing will bring out the urban mean streak faster than impeding traffic in New York. In an automobile or on foot, you have to be aware of your surroundings and abide by the cultural rules of the city.
WALKING
Whether it is running to catch the bus, marching across town or strolling through the park, New Yorkers put a lot of miles on the soles of their feet. I wore a pedometer for about 3 months and averaged 6.5 miles a day.
You might think that anyone can walk down the street. There are many New Yorkers who will argue that point with you. There are unspoken rules about how to walk when in the city. These rules are very similar to the laws of the highway.
1. Don't block traffic: If you are with a group of people DO NOT STAND ON THE SIDEWALK. Would you park a bunch of cars on the highway while you wait for your friend to buy a danish? No. Tourists are the worst about this. A group of 7 to 12 people will meet on the sidewalk in front of a Dean and Deluca's. They will stand there chatting and laughing oblivious to the fact that hundreds of people are being forced to push their way through them or go into the street to get around them. Ironically the group is then shocked when people say unkind things to them about it. The same is true of walking in groups. DO NOT WALK 3 OR 4 PEOPLE ACROSS. If you walk more than 2 people abreast, you make it difficult, if not impossible, for faster moving people to get around you.
2. Move with the flow of traffic: If you walk slowly, for whatever reason, use the slow lane. Now there isn't literally a slow lane on the sidewalk (although it is not a bad idea). Slower people should walk along either the inside or outside edge of pedestrian traffic to avoid impeding the flow.
3. Look before you change lanes or make turns: Imagine driving down the street when the person in the car next to you unexpectedly changes lanes, colliding with your vehicle. It might piss you off. Take a second to glance over your shoulder to see if anyone is there before you make a turn.
4. Don't slam on your breaks: So you are driving down the highway and the car in front of you suddenly slams on their breaks because they saw a cute dress in the store window. Now there is a pileup of angry New Yorkers with coffee dripping down their shirts. If you want to stop to look at something, "pull over."
There are plenty of times when you can casually stroll down the street absorbing the atmosphere. Rush hour in Time Square is not it. You don't have to jog down the street, but you should move with the flow of traffic or at the very least make sure you are not impeding traffic.
SUBWAYS
For 150 years, the New York City subway has provided rapid transportation for New Yorkers. When I first moved to the city, I asked a station attendant for a schedule and she handed me a map. I was confused, "when do the trains come?" I asked. "Every few minutes" she replied. I didn't understand, "They must have a schedule of when they come." "Every few minutes" she repeated sternly. I took my map and slowly walked down to the platform. Sure enough, within a few minutes, a train pulled into the station.
Trains generally arrive every 7 to 10 minutes. However during late night hours (11pm to 5am) or on holidays, fewer trains are running and you can wait upwards of 30 to 45 minutes. Track construction might also result in longer wait times. You can check out the MTA website for service changes or to download maps.
For those of you that have seen those TV shows or movies where the NYC subway is covered in graffiti and crawling with criminals, you will be pleasantly surprise. While the subway is certainly not devoid of graffiti and crimes continue to take place now and then, it is acceptably clean and pretty safe. There are both plain clothed and uniformed police officers who regularly patrol the trains and stations. There are also designated cars at the center of each train where the conductor is that are well monitored.
The fare for the subway or bus is $2.00 per ride. If you are planning to be in NY for 5 days or more and plan on taking the subway a lot, I would suggest purchasing an unlimited weekly metrocard. For $25 you can use the subway as often as you like for that week. They also have 14 day passes for $47 and monthly passes for $81.
It is good subway etiquette to allow people to exit the train before you try to push your way into the train.
BUSES
Buses are a great way to see the city while you are jetting around town. They are cleaner and safer than the subways, but slower and sometimes get caught in traffic.
Unlike the subways, buses actually do have schedules. You can look them up on the MTA website, and they are posted at every bus stop.
The fare for the bus is the same as the subway fares mentioned above.
It is good bus etiquette to enter at the front of the bus and exit at the back.
TAXI CABS
What would a trip to New York be without riding in a yellow cab? It is true that drivers don't always adhere to all of the traffic laws. (I mean there are lanes painted on the streets, but they don't really mean anything in NYC.) Our taxis are famous for the jerking and stopping, the weaving and bobbing and often tossing their passengers allover the backseat. It may seem to many that the taxi driver's job is to get you to your destination as quickly as possible and just short of killing you.
It is a common misconception that you can never get a taxi. Taxis are everywhere and can usually be secured within a few minutes by hailing them along a busy street. On holidays and during bad weather however, it is another story.
Currently taxis run $2.50 upon entry and $0.40 for each additional 1/5 of a mile or 60 seconds waiting in slow traffic. There is a $.50 "night surcharge" from 8pm to 6am and a $1.00 "peak hour surcharge" Monday - Friday from 4pm to 8pm. You are also responsible for any tolls that are incurred during your trip. You should plan to tip from 10% - 20% of your fare. Medallion cabs are now all equipped to accept both cash and credit/debit cards however they will rarely accept bills over $20.
For a complete list of terms, conditions and exceptions to these charges, you should check out the Taxi and Limousine Commission's website. It is good taxi etiquette to exit on the curbside of the vehicle only.
CAR SERVICE
You have to hail yellow cabs from the street; you can't call them in advance to pick you up. However there are many car services where you can make reservations in advance and that provide door-to-door pick-up and drop-off transportation around the city.
Make sure to always confirm rates and other details when calling.
Here is a brief list of some of these companies:
Carmel Car and Limousine Service
Dial 7 Car and Limousine Service
Tel - Aviv Car and Limousine Service
Limo Res.net
Legends Limousine
Towncar USA
First Class Car Service - 212-304-2363
Heights Car Service - (212) 228-8888
Even though it is illegal, these Towncars (also known as T-Cars or gypsy cabs) will sometimes pick up passengers off the street. I have certainly used these services from time-to-time. However because there is no meter in the car, you should always confirm the price of your trip prior to getting in the cab.
AIRPORTS
We are lucky because there are 3 airports that serve NYC; LaGuardia, Newark and JFK. If you are traveling into the city, there are a number of ground transportation options.
Of course there are taxi stands outside all the terminals where yellow cabs will speed you to your destination. You can make arrangements in advance for a car service to meet you either at baggage claim or just outside the terminal. You can use the Airport Service Express Bus that drops you at key locations in Manhattan. You can try the SuperShuttle or the Airlink which provide a shared door-to-door transportation service for you and several other people. There are MTA buses that include the airports along their stops (it would probably take you forever to get anywhere, but it would only be $2.00). If you are traveling in and/or out of JFK, you can also use the subway and if you are flying into Newark, you can use the AirTrain.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey website has a lot of helpful information about the surrounding airports. They also provide specific ground trasportation information for each airport:
LaGuardia
Newark
JFK
Here is a list of airport ground transportation services:
Airport Service Express Bus
Super Shuttle
Airlink
AirTrain
KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING
No one likes being lost. Not only is it time consuming and frustrating, it can also be dangerous. Two of my favorite sites provide maps and directions.
Map Quest (www.mapquest.com) is great for anyone who is traveling to anywhere. You provide it with an address and it will provide you with a map. It will also provide you with step-by-step directions from one location to another.
Hop Stop (www.hopstop.com) is similar to Map Quest in that it provides step-by-step directions, but it is specifically designed for subway travel.
Insider Tips:
- Always obey the cultural transportation rules and etiquette mentioned above.
- Buy unlimited metrocards if you plan on being in the city for a few days
- Check out Map Quest and Hop Stop for maps and directions
- Always discuss the price before accepting the ride
