It seems that all native New Yorkers have completely internalized the entire subway system. They never seem surprised by service changes and always know an alternative way to get to where they are going without checking the few and far between maps posted in the stations. Some even have the vast bus system equally memorized. I have wondered if all children born in the city have a chip implanted to give them intimate knowledge of the MTA. After three years here, I am still learning new ways to get places that are second nature to my New Yorker friends.
This morning I saw just how early the training starts. A child, young enough to be in a stroller with a sippy cup, asked his mother “is this where we get on the 7 train?” His mother replied, “no, this is where we get the N train.” She then repeated it till he understands that this is the station where the N train is and the station where they catch the 7 train.
At his age I was barely aware of trains beyond the Little Engine That Could.
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