Subway Music

Posted by Jennifer W. Miner Oct 22, 2006

Several years ago I was on the subway in NYC, headed towards my in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner. The 9 train was filled with a typical New York crowd; a small group of teens talking too loudly, a baby asleep in his stroller despite people bumping into it, a homeless guy muttering to himself, strangers standing, uncomfortably squeezed together and swaying with the motion of the train, and a row of seated young men studiously avoiding making eye contact with the pregnant woman standing near them. Usual stuff.

The door between the subway cars opened with a clatter, and a hungry-looking woman, holding an empty cup, announced herself. The mood in the train shifted, with several of the sitters instantly shutting their eyes and feigning sleep, and many others staring intently at the other end of the train. Undeterred, she cheerfully began a song:

"When you are lonely, and you're out of baloney, you can always go...Downtown." The crowd stirred, and began to smile and even make eye contact with each other as she earnestly continued, seemingly unaware of how mangled her lyrics were.

"If you need to shaver, but you don't have a razor, there's a CVS...Downtown." I knew she was at least loopy, if not literally mentally ill, but she provided for us one of those rare urban moments that unite people with a common source of amusement, only to dissolve away just as quickly. She earned several dollars from us passengers on that 9 train.

That woman came to mind when I read about an upcoming innovation for the London Underground. Undersound is a music-based technology that its website says will "enhance current social practices of mobility" in the Tube. Permanent Bluetooth transfer points in the stations stream music, and subway riders with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones (and like gadgets) can pick up and listen to the tunes as a shared experience. If a commuter likes the track, it can be downloaded to their phone. Also, when riding on the tube itself, users can download tracks from other users, with a "ping" that alerts the latter. This increases the shared experience of the Undersound project, making the subway like a giant, shared iPod. Imagine: Strangers listening to the same tune, smiling across the tube to each other in acknowledgment of their commonality. No mangled lyrics (or tip jar) necessary. It sounds like a great idea to me.