D-FOB-Sullivan 23 GO EAST OLD MAN I recently took the train ...
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GO EAST OLD MAN I recently took the train out of Grand Central Station to New Haven, CT. Since it would be an almost-two-hour ride and, as it was a Friday afternoon, I picked up the commuter special: a 24-ounce can of Coors for $2.90.
After settling into my seat, I popped open the beer and checked out the guy sitting across from me. He had a red face, white hair and a Yale sweatshirt. He was a generic middle-aged white mancould have been anywhere from 45 to 60also sipping on a beer. We exchanged silent nods.
As the train pulled out of the terminal, I looked out at the dark tunnel below Park Ave., squinting my eyes in search of old graffiti. When we emerged, sunlight filled the car and we traveled past the ravages of upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Soon, we were in bucolic Westchester County.
"They haven't ruined this yet."
I looked up at the man in the Yale sweatshirt. He smiled and said, "They will eventually ruin it, but it will take time."
His name was Nate. He lives in Manhattan, works in finance and was heading to New Haven for a college reunion. I asked if he knew George W. Bush or John Kerry from their time at Yale, or if he was a Skull and Bones member.
"If I say 'yes,'" he said, "I must be a liar because you're not supposed to tell that. But if I say 'no,' you'll never be sure of what is the truth."
Spoken like a true Skull and Bones man.
The express train carried us through South Norwalk where, outside the La Mexicana deli, a few hard-ass Latino men strolled around wearing red bandanas.
"Even Connecticut is in bad shape," Nate said. "They've reached the east. See? They ruined this already. Just a matter of time."
I asked Nate to clarify "they," but he just smiled. "You know. Look around. You have eyes."
We passed through Bridgeport. Outside: young black men sitting on cars, streets lined with two-story projects.
"It's like Planet of the Apes out there. In this country there is no protection. It will all go to hell."
We pulled into New Haven's Union Station, and I walked down the terminal stairs to emerge in the great room that's like a mini Grand Central Station. To make New Yorkers feel at home, there are signs that read, "Do not leave your bags unattended."
Nate bought a newspaper and hopped in a van offering "Yale College Reunion Transportation" on the side. From his seat, he looked out at the city around him. Not even New Haven could meet his approval. o