Life's Like This (based on true stories) :: Nike+ Human Race wearing Reeboks :: Part I

We got up early (we being me and one of my friends who had come to meet me and sight-see Manhattan, New York City. Being a miser he is a devotee of the ‘one arrow two targets’ concept) as today evening at 6 P.M. was the Nike+ Human 10K Race (aliens were specifically barred). I had gotten him also enlisted as one of the runners, with my name already being in the list.

Little did we realize, that today, even reaching the Race venue would become a race in itself...

First stop of the day was Wal-Mart. Of all the things that you can buy from there, we had come for a very specific item. The 4$ running shorts. Hold your thoughts!

The race organizers had given us all bright red Nike T-shirts with the badge number printed on them. Last night as my friend was sorting out stuff to carry today, I saw him place his running shorts next to his red T-shirt. This was no ordinary running shorts. This was BRIGHT silver in colour and SHONE and SPARKLED in light (Hindi language awesomely and precisely describes such items as “chamko” and “chatak”). Controlling the dilemma created by my angelic side (of helping my friend) and the devil inside (of seeing him become a laughing stock), I took the middle path and casually suggested him to wear the combo once and see himself in the mirror. The reaction brought us running to Wal-Mart in the morning.

By the time he got it billed, I called for a cab to the NJT (for the uninitiated, New Jersey Transit, a train service servicing the NJ-NY area). Well we were in South Plainfield, NJ and the NJT runs straight to New York Penn Station, NY.

Our Third stop was going to be the Statue of Liberty for which we had already booked tickets online. The cab was 10 minutes late and I knew it would be touch and go at the station. As soon as we got in the cab, I did the famous Indian trick. I announced I shall pay the cab driver a hefty tip if he could transform himself into Schumacher. He obliged and I told my friend to run for the train as soon as the cab stops. The reply was, “Wouldn’t it cost extra if we did not buy tickets before hand?” (as already mentioned he is a BIG miser). Thankfully I was not able to answer, as we had arrived in the station’s parking lot and the train was already there, a few metres away, with its doors open, about to leave. I screamed, “Run”. That was the first ‘Matrix’ moment...

Everything became slow (for the extent of slowness please see the famous Matrix’s Bullet sequence), he getting out, running. Me getting out, following. Across the parking lot, up the steps, onto the platform, in the compartment through the half closing doors.

We were IN! Through the glass window I saw later that even the cab driver had gotten out to see what would happen! (we did pay 5$ extra each as fine for not buying the tickets before boarding the train. But I paid, so my friend was smug)

At the New York Penn Station, we had to change to Subway 1, which was going to take us straight to the Ferry boarding point (Battery Park) and I had bragged a lot about the Swiss like precision of the Manhattan Subways’ timings. We were waiting with a bunch of Mexicans on the platform, when Subway 1 came, to the platform opposite us, and went by. The Mexicans decided that the next will also come there. We followed but in the middle of crossing over to the opposite platform, I asked my friend, “Would you follow them or follow the great American signages which are never wrong?” We decided to follow the latter. By the time we got back, an NRI girl (there are telltale signs) and her mom were found standing at the same platform and they confirmed that if the Americans had written it, then it was written on stone. Subway 2 came and went (they usually come in cyclic order, Subway 1, then 2 then 3).

Again Subway 1 came and it brought along smug expressions on all the Mexicans’ faces. It had come again on the opposite platform. My friend looked at me and trust me if looks could kill I would not have been able to write this. I somehow overcame the dread and screamed, “Run”, for the second time. We did, but it was gone.

A while later another Subway 2 came. This would have taken us half-way and he suggested we get into it. I explained it will take the same time, as from the half-way point we would have to again wait for Subway 1. We let it go. Subway 1 came. This time on our platform. We got in and I thought that everything would be fine now. The precision of Manhattan Subways’ timings had been reinstated.

I had thought just a wee bit soon.

The train driver announced that the half-way point was going to be the last stop for all the trains including ours (as it had been since yesterday night) due to maintenance and we were supposed to exit the station and take a bus from upstairs. There went the precision and timings in different directions. He looked at me and trust me (again), if looks could kill an ‘already been tried to kill’ man, I would...

In the bus, I tried to cheer him up by saying, “Wow! We are roaming Manhattan in a bus and that too for free! (atleast the Subway Authority had been kind enough to let use the already bought Subway tickets in the bus)”, but alas! The only effect it had was to scare a kid who had been looking at my friend’s face.

We reached Battery Park from where we just had to board the Ferry but soon realized this was going to be our Second stop instead of a transit point.

By the way, the tickets announced the Ferry boarding time of 1:30 P.M. Our watches had already gone past that, when we were in the Subway 1.

To be continued...