Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Throwawayhelp111521 t1_j7d2n83 wrote

Reply to comment by dancetothiscomment in Late for the train. by brooklynlad

They'll know you're not from NYC and haven't bothered to learn what we call the lines on the subway system.

12

Frostflame3 t1_j7duz2l wrote

I’ve lived in NYC my whole life and I call lines by their colors sometimes cause it’s just easier! Is it faster to say “Yellow” or “N, Q, R, W”?

6

chengjih t1_j7dwzcc wrote

> I call lines by their colors sometimes cause it’s just easier! Is it faster to say “Yellow” or “N, Q, R, W”?

Well, sometimes we do the hard, difficult thing (like not use the colors) because it's the right thing.

9

[deleted] t1_j7e6kpj wrote

[deleted]

4

amoebaamoeba t1_j7efqtn wrote

It makes even less sense for an outerborough person to do this, because the color lines tend to *split* when they leave Manhattan!

I used to say "blue line" or whatever until I was in middle school and started riding the subway alone. That's when you learn real fast that there is a biiiiiig difference between the A and the E train at 50th Street. Your knowledge of colors can't help you anymore.

5

chengjih t1_j7fgjsf wrote

Hmm. I'm actually an outer borough kid -- northeast Queens, 30 minutes by bus past the Main Street stop of the 7. I don't refer to the lines by color (unless it's a simplification to explain things to tourists). On the other hand, I'm older, and will sometimes say/think things like "Lexington Avenue IRT" or something.

1

hunneybunny t1_j7hrcus wrote

MiMa is faster than middle of manhattan but you will NEVER catch me calling it that 😂

2

cocktails5 t1_j7dy9bp wrote

Pretty sure NYC does it just to spite Boston.

8

Throwawayhelp111521 t1_j7hy6pp wrote

The only way to get lost on the Red Line or the Orange Line in Boston is to take it in the wrong direction. They are single lines. There are multiple ways to get lost in NYC if you have no more info about the subway line than the color.

1

craigalanche t1_j7fdsg0 wrote

I was born and raised here and if I’m giving directions to someone and it’s a stop where every line in a color stops, I’ll say to take the green line or the blue line or whatever.

3

aimglitchz t1_j7hs784 wrote

Ok I grew up in NYC and call the colors as shortcut sometimes. Interesting to know I'm not new Yorker...

1