Clean Subways?

I have been told that the subway has really cleaned up in the past several years. Apparently, 10 years ago you would never see so many people taking the subway. But now, the subway is always crowded during rush hour, and even at midnight on a Friday night. The more newly outfitted subway cars on some of the subway lines also attest to the changes and renovations being made to create a safer and cleaner commuting environment.

That’s the thing. It’s cleaner, but it’s not clean.

I was once riding the 6 train and saw a little boy licking the subway pole. Yes, he was actually licking the pole. While his mother had her back turned because she was gabbing with her friends, her little boy was twirling ‘round and ‘round the subway pole while his tongue licked the pole. It really was one of the grossest, not to mention unsanitary, things I’ve ever seen. I looked straight at this little boy without hiding the look of disgust on my face, and there was no reaction out of him. Just kept on licking that pole, like it was the best candy he had ever tasted. Damn kids.

With the number of people that currently ride the subway every day, one can only imagine how much bacteria accumulates in each subway car. And there are a few things that should not be done in there. Things like licking subway poles and eating whole meals top the list.

Now, I sit for the majority of my day. When I’m at work, I’m sitting and staring at my computer. When I’m at home, I’m sitting on the couch or at the table. So, sometimes I like to stand, well, just because. But on the subway, I will always take the opportunity to sit. Why? So I don’t have to touch those nasty subway poles. Just thinking about how many people have touched those poles with their grimy, unwashed hands gives me the chills. It’s like I can see all the bacteria crawling on the poles, waiting to get on to me. If there are no seats available, I would rather play the “stand-without-holding-on-to-anything-and-see-how-long-it-takes-me-to-fall-over” game. Or if Edwin’s with me, even better, because then I can just hold onto him while he holds the subway pole. Although, I don’t know how helpful that is, since I’ll just hold his hand after we get off the subway.

While I do not have an obsessive-compulsive disorder (but maybe germaphobia?), I will try and arm myself as much as possible from subway bacteria. If there is enough room in the subway car, I will lean against the pole instead of touching it. If I do have to touch the pole, then I will do so with only my thumb and one finger, to attempt to minimize the area of contact. And after all that, I do carry around a little bottle of hand sanitizer gel if there is no sink and soap available at my destination. But even then, the lack of paper towels can spell disaster when trying to open the bathroom door, because that’s another germ-fest waiting to taint my clean hands. That bathroom door handle is dangerous - and I know I'm not just being paranoid because there is now proof of people's deficiency in handwashing. Just think what the statistics would be like if they did the study in the subway.

So, although the subway oftentimes appears to be clean, just remember all the people who have left their germs on subway poles before you.