Trying to survive the NYC subways? Here are some tips for a more comfortable and safe ride.

Wear Comfortable Walking Shoes
As you've no doubt learned by now, to get anywhere in NYC, you have to walk walk walk. On a crowded subway, there will be times when you have to stand. On a crowded subway that has stopped for mechanical failures or "police activity," there will be times when you have to stand for a long long time. With comfortable walking shoes, you won't have to suffer the agony of painful feet. There's nothing worse in NYC than painful foot bunions.
Stand Sideways
When the subway jerks to a spot, you're liable to tumble if you're standing. If you're a dirty old man who tumbles into a young Japanese girl in a schoolgirl uniform, maybe that isn't so bad. If you're a normal person, the tumbling can be minimized if you stand sideways, facing the doors or chairs. Facing forwards or backwards means the sudden starts and stops will force you to lurch and fall over. Standing sideways will give you enough stability to avoid falling. You can even hold the handrails and use your arm like a third leg or tripod for added equilibrium.
Minimize Eye-To-Eye Contact
As much as you want to look at the person sitting across from you and smile, don't. That is an automatic sign that you're a tourist and a good target of a pickpocket. Genuine homeless people and scam artists look for that eye-to-eye in order to get money from you. For an actual homeless person, that's okay, but be wary of scam artists. Eye contact isn't necessarily bad in itself, you just have to be judicious with whose eyes you meet.
Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
While you should minimize eye-to-eye contact, you should also be aware of your environment. Scan the subway car and quickly take note of the number of and kind of people in it without being obvious. Don't turn your back to someone who looks suspicious. Keep him/her in front of you without staring at the person directly. Even better: wear dark sunglasses. You can easily look at the people around you inconspicuously.
Keep Your Bags Visible To You
Always keep your belongs in front of you or within your sight. If you can't to that for some reason, keep a strap or a part of it in your arms. You basically need to make sure that if anyone is going to steal any of your stuff, you will be able detect it by sight or movement. Same goes for watches and jewelry; such shiny adornments can make for tempting targets.
Wash Hands After Riding
A subway ride can bring you into contact with gallons of microscopic bacteria and viruses, not to mention general NYC pollution, soot, and dirt. Wash your hands and face after riding, especially if you've touched a pole. This is the principle method of travel for most NYC germs. In the winter season when the cold and flu are more prevalent, washing isn't just good hygiene, it's good sickness prevention.
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Do you like NYC subways?