Penn Station is the epicenter of hell!

As a commuter and avid NYC fan I have come to the conclusion that Penn Station represents all that is wrong with NYC. This goes beyond the usual complaints of people talking loud on their cell phones or someone sitting next to me, although there are many other open seats on the train. This is something that makes me shake my head and realize why some people from Long Island do not want to take the train to NYC for work or pleasure.

A typical morning has already begun and I arrive at Penn Station at 7:40am, up the stairs and into the sea of people who refuse to pick their heads up in fear that they would have to actually acknowledge another human being, rather than just bump into them and mutter words under their breath to the tune of "excuse you!" I have personally stopped stepping out of the way of these "floor watchers," and have come to the conclusion that maybe a little shoulder bump is all someone will need to get their morning going a little bit faster than the new everyday blend from Starbucks will.

Assuming I have made it through the initial gauntlet of people tuning left as I turn right it is on to the next obstacle, which might be the most annoying, mind boggling and just plain dangerous item on the agenda - the backpack/luggage/ lunch bag/ briefcase on wheels, that's right - ON WHEELS. Because when I think about the best place to put my $2000 laptop, I think "why not strap some wheels on it and drag it through Penn Station." I might not be the quickest person in the room, but doesn't the word backpack represent a pack on your back? When your forced to wheel a backpack around it might be time to rethink what your bringing into work.
***SIDEBAR - is there nothing better than watching someone wrestle with their wheeled luggage which has gotten stuck in the turnstile - this is something that brings a smile to my face each and every time.

Which brings us to the final item of danger on the agenda today and something I am guilty of, but it is something that drives me crazy everywhere, but mostly in Penn Station where time is essential. I wasn't aware that there are designated spots for people to stop and read or text away - some of these locations are: on every staircase, the escalators, the entry to the subway car or just about any high traffic area in Penn Station. To me this is amazing if some of these people would put the Blackberry in their pockets and walk normal speeds they would be at work a 1/2 hour quicker and would be able to read the email without causing or receiving any major injury.

So to recap Penn Station is full of rude, anti social, slow walking, laptop wheeling, text messaging/emailing, stopping anywhere commuters who act like tourists making it one of the worst places to be in NYC!