Only in the Apple – A New York City Blog

The 6 train plays a recording of a woman asking us to “stand clear of the closing doors.” She ends her message with an emphasized, pleading “please!” It’s kind of amusing how she says it – but even more amusing when people fail to listen to her.

People’s desperation to get on a train amazes me. You’d think it was the last train running for a week when they throw their bodies through the doors as they close. I’ve seen a woman’s face literally smashed in the doors – I thought her nose was going to be chopped off. I’ve also seen arms, bags, and even a girl’s butt get trapped between the doors. I usually just watch from the platform, shaking my head as I wait for the train that’s directly behind the one people are almost killing themselves to get on.

 I did, on one occasion, thrust my bag in-between closing doors (with success, I might add), but kept all of my appendages out.

It’s stories like this, though, that make me wonder what price people are willing to pay for their stupidity.

Taking a recommendation from a co-worker, I headed over to a new food store this week on the East Side called Really Cool Foods. Ever the researcher, I googled the store before I actually stepped foot into it. Of course I read mixed reviews, but what drew me to the store was the fact that they sell pre-cooked, fresh, packaged meals. And, as a bonus,  everything is organic.

Now, please realize that I absolutely love to cook, but being a 20-something who lives  by herself makes cooking kind of depressing and more work than it’s worth. When I do buy ingredients to make a well-balanced meal, the food that I don’t use (you know, the half package of mushrooms, the extra tomatoes) sits in my fridge until I realize that they’re no longer edible. In the long run, my attempt to be healthy and cook well for myself results in a waste of money and time (how can I justify spending an hour cooking a meal when it takes me eight minutes to eat it?).

Even after doing my research, I walked into Really Cool Foods with no idea what to expect. It was a much smaller space (read: much less food) than I expected; I kept looking around for another room or stairs to an additional level with no such luck. That being said, you won’t be able to do all of your food shopping here – especially if you still enjoy a bowl of Frosted Flakes or the occasional Oreo.

 On the right hand side of the store is a refrigerated section that holds the pre-cooked selections. I was extremely impressed with the variety. There’s a pasta section that offers vegetable or meat lasagna, stuffed shells, chicken parm and spaghetti, etc. There’s chicken and fish dishes, as well as vegetables and rice.

 My first meal was vegetable lasagna. I heated half the portion (there’s definitely enough food in one package for two people or two meals for one) for about three and a half minutes – and dinner was served! It was delicious – it felt good to know I was eating such fresh food and that it had never seen the inside of my freezer. Next on my list to try: the chicken parm and spaghetti.

 Really Cool Foods has a great cheese selection in the middle of the store. From goat to gouda, you’ll definitely find a cheese you like. They also have a little section set up that always has samples available. Out while I was there: tortilla chips and carrot salad.

 Let’s talk money. I was given the heads up by my co-worker about prices, so I was not shocked when I checked out with a container of roasted vegetables, chicken parm and spaghetti, vegetable lasagna, five grain crackers, and smoked gouda and my total was $34. The pre-cooked foods will cost you anywhere between $6.99 and $9.99 per package. When you factor in how much it would cost to buy all the ingrediants to make just one of those meals, not to mention the preparation and cooking time, it really works out to be an efficient and easy deal.

Here’s a few of the reviews I came across:

http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/17242/

http://uppereastsidecommunity.blogspot.com/2006/08/its-really-hot-try-really-cool-foods.html

http://www.uppereast.com/coolfoods.html

Okayyy, they didn’t really open a spa on the subway…but from what I’ve seen, you’d think they did.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’ve seen WAY too many people tending to hygienic needs on the train and bus. One awful morning on the crosstown bus, I sat mournfully i-pod-less (gasp!). As I stared out the window, trying not to dwell on my forgetfulness, I became aware of an annoying clicking sound. It was a consistent cross between “click” and “snip”. I did a quick scan around me, but could not find the source. It stopped for a few seconds, then started up again. Note: morning is not the appropriate time to annoy me. I whipped my head around to find the person directly behind me CLIPPING HIS NAILS. I hate the sound that nail clippers make to begin with, but to know that someone is doing it on public transportation totally grossed me out. Like, why couldn’t he wait until he got home? Were his nails so talon-like that he would have injured others if he didn’t clip them right that second?

Needless to say, the same thing happened less than a week later on the B train. I was in plain view of a guy clipping his nails; he stood in front of the train doors, methodically snipping away. I’m sure he left behind a nice pile of nail clippings for people to step on.

A few days later – on the B line once again – I sat next to a woman who made it clear that she had somewhere very important to be. She was dressed nicely – a satin blouse and skirt – and kept checking her watch as if she was late. When she took a mirror and comb out of her bag though, I got nervous. She then proceeded to brush out her already teased hair with such exuberance that I felt the need to inch away. It’s not that she was dirty or unkempt; all I could think about was her hair or dandruff flying onto me. She kept brushing and combing and flipping…if the train wasn’t so full, I would have gotten up and moved. What really blew my mind was when she dropped her comb on the floor of the train – and picked it right back up and continued to brush out her hair.

Come on, there is a time and a place (i.e. your bathroom) for these activities. Public transportation is not one of them.

Check out this story from CTA Tattler that I stumbled across while writing. It makes me wonder: how many of us are experiencing this on a daily basis?