6 Train chronicles

Taking the 6 train uptown from anywhere, downtown Manhattan was always interesting, especially in the 90s. As a child, I noticed something. As the train approached 96th street, ALL white people got up out of their seats and rushed to the train doors. When I say "rush" I mean it. I have been riding the subway for years and there are times that I dozed off and missed my stop, but to these people in those times, missing their 96th street destination seemed to be a sin. The next stop would be my stop. 103rd street. I would observe the train and see no more whites. Now, nothing but Puerto Ricans speaking my mothers language, some Mexicans speaking spanish in their accent, and some blacks. One stop made such a huge difference. A difference in race, household incomes, and a difference in architecture.