Ride And/Or Die: A (Reluctant) Beginner’s Guide To Biking in Brooklyn
Taking It On The Subway
A lot of people are firmly in the “never, ever take a bike on the subway” camp, which I definitely get. It’s cumbersome and takes up space that could be filled with actual people. But shit happens, and it’s a problem that’s pretty unique to riding in New York, so I decided it was worth a shot.
Before this, I actually tried to ride back home from the park, but Bedford is busy, and even with my lights on, biking on a crowded street in the dark made me nervous. Plus, it was past rush hour (when both the MTA and common decency dictate that you shouldn’t bring your bike on the train), so it seemed like a good time to try it out.
Carrying it down the stairs and through the emergency exit doors is easier than expected since the station’s fairly empty, but even at 8:30pm, I have to wait for three trains to pass before one comes that’s roomy enough for me to get on (which I do in the very last car, another MTA stipulation).
It all goes unremarkably — there’s room for me to stay out of everyone’s way, and even sit down — until the way out, when the bike almost gets away from me and slides down the giant escalator at Broadway Junction and into a group of children. But only almost!