We Hardly Knew V

Due to budget cuts, there will be service changes to the New York subway system effective Sunday, June 27. The V subway line, one of the youngest in the system, being cut is one of the many changes. To commemorate the line, there was a party on the last train run tonight.

I decided to attend the party having no idea what to expect or how many would show up. We were all asked to wear something orange (the color of the line) or V related. I had neither, but I do have a New York City Subways t-shirt, so I pulled that out of the bottom of my drawer. I realized after putting it on, that the V line isn't represented on the shirt. Apparently, I got this shirt before there even was a V line. The shirt is now current again.

I took a train to the 2nd Ave/Houston St station where the party was to begin. I noticed on that train a couple of people in orange and assumed they were going to the party, too. When they started taking pictures with their arms in a V formation, I knew I was right. We arrived at the station around 10:30 PM. The party was to be on the last train run at 11:00. I had a couple minutes, so I went up the steps and tried to make sure I was on the right platform. At the top of the steps was a group of about 15 police officers ending what appeared to be a quick pre-shift meeting. I went back down to the platform to wait.

A guy walking toward me looked me up and down and came over and asked if I was there for the subway party. I assume that my NY Subway shirt and the camera dangling from my wrist gave me away. We chatted for a few minutes before he introduced himself. "By the way, my name is Sasha," he said. "Well, that's my nickname, but it's a long story." I thought to myself perhaps this party won't be too bad-I've already met someone. He told me a little bit about himself and his love for trains and when another person walked up, he started over.

I turned toward the cops who had come down to the platform and overheard one.

"Are you here for the party?"

"Yeah," said a girl in an orange t-shirt. "Wait, no, I don't know anything about it," she corrected.

"How did you hear about it?" he asked.

"On Facebook, how did you hear about it?"

"On Facebook! You think the cops don't check these things?" he answered. "We're just going to have fun, right? No vandalism, OK?"

A group of people came down the steps and got on the waiting V train. Many of the "orange people" followed, but just as I was getting on the train, an F train arrived across the platform. The first group of people jumped off the train and on to the F and were off. Nobody really knew what was going on, but we just knew we didn't want to miss the last train.

At 11:00, the last car filled with people in orange t-shirts, orange jumpsuits, orange socks, orange as far as you could see. One guy had on a plain black t-shirt. Until he turned around. Tacked on the back was a crocheted orange "V." The girl he was with explained that he didn't have anything orange, so she corrected that for him. The doors closed and we were off. There were at least two cops in our car, and I assume about that many in each of the other cars as well.

A cheer went up as we rolled out of the station. Each time we stopped and someone got on, we all cheered and welcomed them to the train. The look on an unsuspecting person's face was simply priceless. At one stop, two girl got on and the usual cheer went up. Everyone was watching as one girl began to cuss the other girl out for getting on the wrong train. Someone explained that this was the party train and it was more fun than the one they wanted anyway. The first girl reached into her bag and pulled out her Flip video camera. "I have the MTA to thank for this! We stumbled onto a party train because they are ending the service, so because of them, I am on my way to Queens instead of Washington Heights! F- you, MTA!"

Things went along smoothly for several stops, until people started car hopping in the stations. In short order, the car I was in was empty. I joined the group at the next stop, and hopped again later. As we moved further toward the front of the train, the cars became fuller and fuller. People were having trouble getting on, so others began holding doors. The cops stepped in and said not to hold the doors, but one guy kept trying to get on the train. I have never seen a cop lunge toward a guy like that and shove him off the train, but it was a sight to see.

I made it to 53rd St before I had to use the restroom. I jumped off the train and went up to the street to find one. I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to the end of the line, but it was a good time. When I got back to the 53rd St station, I was surprised to see so many people in orange on the platform. As I waited for a train to go back to New Jersey, another V train appeared!

We all got on the train, and smugly acknowledged we were on the actual last train, not the people I was with originally. Someone in the group had a boom box and music and dancing ensued. As we made each stop, a couple of orange people from the first train got on. At one station, most of the people I was with one the first train got on the last train. When we left the next to last station on the line, someone popped a cork, and bottles of Champaign were passed around. For the record, that was only the second time I had ever drank on a train.

At the end of the line, we all got off the train and bid it goodbye as it pulled out of the station. As Sasha said at one point on the ride, "I would rather do this than spend a night at a club," and I would have to second that.