In Memoriam: 10 Much Mourned Brooklyn Institutions
Redbird Subway Cars
The reason these specific subway cars are missed by me is partly based on the color. And that’s kind of enough, I think. Taking the subway is tedious enough, wouldn’t it be nice to have a little variety in what the trains look like? And also, I appreciate the convenience of having a digital reminder of what time it is, and what the next stop is going to be, but it was also kind of great to be on the subway and feel disconnected from everything else. Now, of course, no one is ever really disconnected on the subway, and everyone is playing Candy Crush, but Redbird cars almost forced you to be alone with your thoughts. And, look, nothing is scarier to me than being alone with my thoughts, but it’s nice to have it as an option. I guess the G trains are all pretty analog, but then you’re on the G and so everything is terrible anyway. The Redbird cars met an interesting fate, though. After they were decommissioned, they were given burials at sea all up and down the East Coast, where they now act “as artificial reefs to promote marine life, serve as a barrier and enhance recreational scuba diving.” So, that’s cool anyway.