Rant on the 1 Train about being corralled into listening to the smug conversation of two painfully loud, smug Columbia students

Unbearably loud privileged Columbia business school student talking to fellow student interminably and unbearably loudly about internships, semesters, electives, etc.
Shut up with your smug student jargon, and your matching Columbia business school rucksacks neatly sitting on both your backs.
Get off the train please and spare us the dullitude of your semesters and internships and all the other paraphernalia of your perfect Columbia student existences.
Give the rest of us less privileged, weary mortals sitting on the 1 Train, at 21:55 hours at night, at least a little respite from your stentorian tones.
Phew, they got off at 168th St.

Spotted – Michael Jackson, back from the dead, on the A Train

I haven’t blogged for ages, but I have been taking random pics of funny/unusual/typically New York sights, so I thought to lure myself back into blogging more regularly, I’d start gently – by uploading a pic or two.

Here’s my first in a series of random, unchronologically ordered, New York snaps:

I present….Michael Jackson, back from the dead and fully reincarnated, pre-plastic surgery and looking younger than ever, doing the Moon Dance, on the A Train:

Macy’s – institutionalized racism?

A vignette about racism in New York:

A few people sitting near me in a crowded subway carriage started chatting the other day (this would, of course, never happen on the London Underground where only *weirdos* and *freaks* ever make eye contact), and me, being a friendly soul, soon joined in with them.

The young woman leading the discussion was Afro-American as was another older, well-dressed woman (probably in her fifties) sitting next to me. They started talking about racism. Here’s roughly how the conversation went:

Young woman: I wish store keepers would leave me alone when I walk into their stores instead of following me around like I’m going to shoplift something just because I’m black!

Older woman: (sigh) I know exactly what you’re talking about.

Me: Are you serious, they still do things like that nowadays here in New York?

Young woman: Yes, of course, it always happens if you go into a store and you’re black. Macy’s in particular is notorious for following around black customers. I just want to say to them, hey, I’ve got money, I’ve got credit cards, leave me alone!

Me: Oh my Lord, they’re such a bunch of racists! I can’t believe it.

Older woman: Yes, actually, it doesn’t make any difference how old you are either, they still follow me around too!

Me: I’m so naive, I thought this kind of racism doesn’t exist any more.

Young woman: Don’t even get me started!

End of conversation as I had to get off the train.

Message to Macy’s: Get your act together and quit demonising your black customers. Who knows, your profit margins (which is all you really care about at the end of the day) might look even more buoyant if you treated all your customers respectfully.