Two years ago I stepped onto the 1 train at South Ferry Station, my first real subway ride. Coming from a small rural town, I was terrified of being robbed, raped, and murdered. Not once in my two college years have I come close to any of those scenarios. I was warned of New Yorkers being rude, obnoxious, and impatient, and truth be told New Yorkers have been a real help to any less than ideal situation.

When you go into a subway station make sure you are going the direction you want to go. There are downtown and uptown entrances into the subway. Once you get down there the ticket office offers free subway maps and there is a big huge honking subway map of all the stations and transfers. There are also subway maps in each car just in case you forget or you need that extra glance. I wouldn't trust the lighted board in the car as they don't work and are often wrong the majority of time. This lighted board has each stop and as you get to the stop the orange light turns off. Don't trust it. You can get tickets from the ticket office or there are machines where you can insert credit, debit, or cash. There is also a machine that lets you check how many rides you have left on your metrocard. On the machine there is a variety of options for subway rides that you can purchase. I always purchase the 12 rides for 10 as I am a poor college student and that is a sufficient amount for me.

The numbers of each train are on the front and the side in order to ensure travelers have the right train. Don't freak out if you get on the wrong train. It happens to everyone. The conductor will say where you can transfer and you can get back on the train you desire. You can also look on the subway map in each car to see where you are going and how to get back to the train you want. You can also ask your fellow passengers. New Yorkers, although tough and gritty, are used to people asking them how to get to pretty much any destination. They have always been helpful and right in my own experiences.

As of now, the trains in lower Manhattan have been a complete mess. I have missed buses, trains, ferries, classes, you name it because of MTA's constant construction for downtown Manhattan. On a rare occasion, there is a service notice notifying the subway crowd of the trains switching stops, or being out of service. Lower Manhattan consists of anything from South Ferry to 14th Street. Usually on the weekends the red line and sometimes the green line do not work. It is essential to make time for such surprises. The yellow line has yet to be a problem but is much slower than the red or green line. To keep up with all the construction in Manhattan, the MTA website is very helpful. It will show you which lines are working and which are having problems.
When a station is out of service, there is usually a shuttle bus (which is free) where you can get to your stop. You just have to find the right corner and the right time to stand out there. The MTA workers are friendly and a big help.

For most vacationers, the first station they walk into is Grand Central. To get to your destination, the S train is needed for the majority of stops. Most people will be seen running their butts off trying to catch it as it sits there. It's pretty funny to watch because the S train stays at that stop for a good amount of time and there isn't a long wait at all between shuttles. If you don't want to rush, don't bother, it's not needed.

The subway is a wonderful means of public transportation. Coming from my small town where we don't even have taxis, it's an amazing, cheap way to get around.

Learn more about this author, Jessica D.
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