Back in Time
June 26, 2008 – 1:01 pm
Last night, when stepping onto a subway train, I stepped back in time. I was suddenly transported to a time where crackheads ruled the city and the NYPD was virtually nowhere to be found.
At about 9:30 last night, my girlfriend and I stepped into the front car of a downtown A train at Columbus Circle. As soon as the doors closed, we looked at each other. “Do you smell smoke,” we asked each other simultaneously. Indeed we did, but we couldn’t figure out where it was coming from until we followed the glances of our fellow passengers. Behind us, I saw a weak-looking, clearly-intoxicated man with a lighter, and he was lighting something on fire in his hand. I couldn’t quite figure what it was, but I was ready to book as soon as the doors opened at the next stop.
Then, I overheard other passengers gossiping about the man:
“Is that money?” I turned back around. Indeed it was.
“Oh my god, is he smoking that?” One more time back around. Yes, he definitely was. This guy was insane, and he was probably trying to get high off the cash he used to snort a line. Holy fucking shit, I do not want to mess around with this guy.
Nor did anyone else. When the doors opened at Times Square, the entire car bailed out. With shocking efficiency, the MTA conductor stepped out, saw what was happening, and immediately radioed for police. Then the waiting game began:
“Ladies and gentlemen, this train is delayed due to police activity. We should be moving shortly.”
Except there was no police activity. From the second train car, we watched as the man kept smoking and smoking. We watched the conductor stand helplessly in the door waiting for the police. For nearly ten minutes, at a subway station with a manned police precinct, our train sat still in the station with not an officer in sight. Curious onlookers loomed outside the doors of the train, looking towards the front of the train at the conductor, then looking towards the back of the train to see an empty platform.
After all that waiting, a C Train pulled into the station across the platform. Rather than wait it out and see how this all panned out in the end, we hopped on the other train.
I don’t know what surprised me more: a guy smoking money on the subway, or the slow police response time to a guy smoking money on the subway. Either way, it was a nice throwback to the pre-Giuliani days of graffiti-covered trains and crime-ridden streets. If I hadn’t known any better, I could’ve walked upstairs to street level and gotten mugged on my way to a peep show.
24 Responses
I used to ride the G train a lot back when I lived in Bed-Stuy. TONS of crack smoking on that train, particularly in the middle of the night. Not by me, though. Or at least not always.
By Clinton on Jun 26, 2008
So, just to be clear (as the East Village Idiot is not) the pic associated with this article is from the eighties photo pool, right? Otherwise, I’ve been riding some of NYC’s tragically unhip (and clean) train cars…
By Local Tourist on Jun 26, 2008
Stop being a fucking pussy
By Racist_Joe on Jun 26, 2008
Hmm, I am not sure that smoking loose powder is actually the same as smoking crack, which is crystalline.
By Sarah on Jun 26, 2008
you obviously don’t know anything about drugs and have never seen a crackhead or the things people use to smoke crack.
trying to smoke money is more of a sign of mental illness than anything. you can’t possibly get high from smoking powdered cocaine residue from a bank note.
By huh? on Jun 26, 2008
yeah, I’m gonna have to agree with Sarah and huh? on this one.
By Gwin on Jun 26, 2008
Like Gwin, I’m ordering what Sarah and huh? are having, add a small side of Racist Joe.
Still love you.
By PissedAndPetty.com on Jun 26, 2008
Apologies for me not being able to handle basic html. *sigh*
By PissedAndPetty.com on Jun 26, 2008
1) Powder cocaine isn’t crack.
2) The conductor sits in the middle car of the train. The guy in the front is the motorman.
By jmz on Jun 27, 2008
What has happened to the A train riders? I am use to people ignoring smells, defication and other crazy shi% on the train and not moving b/c they have a seat. If I had a seat, wasnt right next to him and didnt see anything to fear from him, I wouldnt move either. What has happened to the oblivious NYers?
By crazzee on Jun 27, 2008
This is why we need cameras everywhere within the public transit system. The sped up video of the event would have been a viral hit and probably would have spawned a deoderant commercial.
By Eric the BeehiveHairdresser on Jun 27, 2008
Man, you are taking a lot of shit for this one. I don’t understand the “that shouldn’t bother you if you’re a New Yorker” mentality. It’s not being a “fucking pussy”. It about not wanting to commute with crazy people who smoke cash on the train.
Also, I’m glad you mentioned this because I have seen more cracked out people in the past week then I have in the past two years. There is nothing cool or hip about crime rates increasing. NYC is fun because it’s safe. There’s nothing romantic about living somewhere dangerous. To act otherwise is ignorant.
By Todd on Jun 27, 2008
I’m sorry that I’m not an expert in hardcore illegal drugs, everyone.
By Chris on Jun 27, 2008
This seems to be overblown a bit. The guy was smoking money. So what? How does that effect you any more or less than if he had a Marlboro? What if he was smoking pot? You’d laugh it off. Whether it’s nicotine, marijuana or a dollar bill, it’s still just a guy minding his business smoking.
Unless he was screaming, waving a weapon, or stroking his penis, having to get the cops involved for this seems a little much, no?
Although, the site of people fleeing from a train car because a guy was SMOKING something is hysterical.
“What!? What is it?!?! Tell us what’s wrong?!!?!?”
“There’s a guy in there!!!”
“What’s he doing! Calm down, calm down. Tell me what he’s doing.”
“He’s…smoking…”
“He’s….what?”
“He’s smoking money! Arrest him!”
“You held the train up for 10 minutes because of this?”
“Sir, he’s smoking money! That’s scary!”
“Right, great. The irony of this situation would be if one of the people freaking about this and causing an MTA train delay had a blog dedicated mostly to ripping the MTA for pointless train delays.”
“Ahhh, yes, that would be something.”
By lozo on Jun 27, 2008
maybe he was so fucked up that when he pulled out the rolled up dollar that he was using to snort shit with, he got confused and thought it was a cigarette. just sayin…it can happen easier than you think.
By brooke on Jun 27, 2008
At least he isn’t smoking cigarettes…that’s the real killer.
By Marlboro Man on Jun 27, 2008
Perhaps this was a conceptual comment on the current economy?
By MFR on Jun 27, 2008
@Iozo How is a penis more dangerous than a crazy man holding a lighter and flaming dollar bills?
By dave on Jun 27, 2008
@dave: Obviously, you’ve never seen Lozo’s penis. (high-five Lozo)
By PissedAndPetty.com on Jun 27, 2008
a) i wonder if anyone else thinks my name is Iozo.
b) high-five back at you!
By lozo on Jun 28, 2008
I once got on a semi-crowded A train and to my surprise I saw a thin old white women wearing all black smoking a long cigarette while seated in the corner seat. She seemed to be a witch almost since she her dress style was very morbid. She seemed to really be enjoying her cigarette with the long inhales of an experienced smoker. You didn’t want to mess with her, no one on the train said a word. I was amazed and frightened. If someone is crazy/arrogant enough to light up on the train you don’t want to mess with them. People just got on and off at their designated stops, all looking and not saying a word.
By Yulia on Jun 29, 2008
Once, I saw a guy on the subway building a small cocoon on the window using only his phlegm.
Okay, it was a large cocoon.
By Phlipper on Jun 30, 2008
I don’t know who you are, or why, but I love you.
By Philip on Jun 30, 2008
Oh, I almost forgot, having been in whirl of love for Chris. To all of you here who either didn’t live here, or did and were dead from the neck up for 20 years, hear this:
NYC was never as dangerous as people make it out to be. It’s become a cliche whenever the subject of anti-suburbanization comes up. Was it dirtier? Yep. Where the subways covered in graffiti? Yep. The best is hearing tourists or newbies as they walk around Times Square “Really? This used to be a bad area?” Whowwwww! So, all of the above are true, I lived it, and I lived it in and around Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen– and guess what? IT WAS FUN, IT WAS GOD DAMNED GREAT!!
By Philip on Jun 30, 2008