I was a nurse working at 98th and 5th. NYC. Got on the train in the worn direction or day noticed a little too late Got right off ran up then down to downtown platform. Cop was there He just looked at me and rolled his eyes. ‘WTF? You are making my job difficult, lady. Get on that train and get out of here’. Wearing a uniform. No one bothered me. That day anyway. But that’s a long time ago. It’s a foreign neighborhood. Stay out. Sorry.
When I first moved to Philadelphia in the early 1980s, I walked to Center City from my neighborhood to explore. After several hours of walking, I was tired. I decided to try to take one of the SEPTA trolleys home. I didn’t yet know the name of my neighborhood, or the name of the trolley line that went there, but I decided to jump on one that I thought might be going the right direction.
As soon as I got on, I began to experience misgivings. The trolley began to move north, instead of west... which I had been warned about.
I moved toward the door, and caught the eye of an elderly African-American gentleman, sitting with his hands in his lap. He slowly - and slightly - shook his head, and raised one finger, pointing at the door.
I got off, and walked back to Market Street, and walked home.