THE SUBWAY BLOGS: Superb entertainment on the New York City Subway courtesy of panhandlers

It was early this morning, I had just exited the A train at Chambers Street stop, when a hilarious incident caught my eye.

The Panhandler versus the Giver

On the floor, by the ticket attendant's stall, sat an old woman a pan in her outstretched arms asking for money. As she had her back towards the stairs, she couldn’t see the kind Asian man who was approaching her from behind to drop money in her pan. He reached from behind her, and attempted to place said money in her pan. At that action, the old woman (assuming she was being robbed) grabbed her pan and assumed a defensive pose. The Asian man, startled, also jumped back money in hand.

I laughed quietly to myself at the woman’s reaction: while she has every right to defend her pennies and quarters, she needn’t do so against a potential giver. Oh the merriment of a good laugh. This incident brought back memories of a most pleasurable ride I took on the R train a couple Saturdays ago.

Panhandlers: the perfect antidote to a boring subway ride

I was on my way to meet a friend at Central Park, and was feeling a bit annoyed at the prospect of a long boring train ride, when two short men in sombreros and gauchos entered my car. They proceeded to woo the passengers with well harmonized traditional Mexican music. After the required passing of the pan, the short men exited my car, and continued on to entertain the next car on the train. They had hardly been gone five minutes when about four other panhandlers entered my car. This time we were to be treated to dancing accompanied by boom box music. The ‘dancing troupe’ cleared some space for their performance and turned the music’s volume up.

Had the dancing been performed on a traditional stage it would have been ordinary; but these guys were professional ‘train car/strap handle dancers,’ they bounced round the railings and twisted their bodies over the strap handles in such a way that you could hear the passengers gasping. I was left breathless ---- partly from fear that the young boys would break some bone or appendage, partly because of the skill of the whole performance. The dance ended to applause from most passengers, and I estimate that the boys made more than a few dollars.

Prodigies on the Subway

Some people may look down on panhandlers, as homeless people with no talenting trying to make a quick dollar. I would vociferously beg to differ. One has only to go to Penn Station in midtown Manhattan to see the elaborate set up and immense talent of many panhandlers. I have been treated to awesome reggae, steel pan and even rock and roll music by men and women who, if given the break would be great performers and musicians. The question is: does being famous make one a great musician, or can having great talent without the fame qualify one as a great musician?

To make my point, I give you the story of Nathaniel Ayers, a mentally challenged man who although he panhandled in parks across Los Angeles,was such a great musician that he was considered a prodigy. His talent wasn't diminished by the fact that he was a panhandler, or mentally challenged. In fact, so moving was his music that he caught the eyes of a journalist who wrote about his life's story, and facilitated the making of a movie (The Soloist), released this year.

Great talent doesn't need fame or a national stage to validate it. Sometimes the subway carries more talent than a long series of concerts playing at the Madison Square Garden and I, for one plan to appreciate greatness whenever I come across a truly talented panhandler on the subway.

Comments WElcome