Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Night Shift Workers At Penn Station @11:28 pm
Midtown
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First off I want to thank some fellow bloggers for helping to spread the word about MAD. I got a shout out from Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York and I thank him not only for that, but for the mention about the 365 blog and the Q. and A. he did with me last year, he’s got a great blog and it meant a lot to me to be featured on there. And speaking the 365 blog, if you followed that last year you’ll know both these nest two bloggers: My buddy Tim "Clacky" Clack just started his debut blog and it’s called, Tales From The Bunt’s Side, which refers to his exclusive bar he just built in his back yard. down under in Australia. He wrote me up yesterday in this post and I thank him for that! I can’t wait to hit Bunt Custer's Bar someday, but in the meantime we all have this wonderful blog. And last, but certainly not least my friend Fat Al over at the fine blog The Half Empty Glass also devoted a post about MAD along with a video. Which video was it? Well, you’ll just have to check their post right here: THEG. Thanks to all three and if you haven’t seen or read their blogs, you should do so right now...and then come back here of course! Okay on with the blog.
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I started working the night shift in 1986. The day before I started I wondered how much I would hate it. After a couple nights I realized I loved working nights and I vowed never to work the day shift again. And I haven’t, except for a few weeks out of the year when I have to fill in for someone on the day shift who’s on vacation. And believe me, when I do have to work the day shift it’s as painful as a Tabasco sauce enema.
I don’t know why more people don’t want to work at night, especially here in New York where there’s so many places to go to at off hours. I’ve never been a morning person and I don’t know how most people stand getting up anywhere between 6 am and 9 am every single day for work. It’s so early and bright...sunshine...echh! When you work nights you can sleep in, drink at weird hours of the morning, it’s usually quiet in apartment buildings and the whole mood at work and everywhere else is a little looser and kookier as the night rolls into morning and the hours turn from big to small.
In a way I’m glad most people don’t want to work nights, it makes it that much easier for me to get a job. Although when you request to work nights, you usually get a weird reaction at the start. When I’ve told prospective employers that I want to work the night shift, they usually do a double take and then squinch their eyes and give me a look like I’m the second coming of Travis Bickle. I once had an interview with the owner of a pre-press print shop and he told me that he’d hire me, but he said, “You have to realize one thing, I don’t foresee you getting on the day shift for years.”
I promptly replied, “Well if you put me on the day shift, I’ll quit. I don’t want to work daytime hours.”
His eyes got narrow and he gave me the son of Travis Bickle look and said almost in a frightened tone, “What? Are you some kind of a fucking vampire or something? Nobody wants to work the night shift!”
Anyway, that brings me to tonight’s after dark journey. I thought once a week I’d go somewhere and take photos and talk to people working the night shift right here in New York City to give some credit to kindred spirits of the night. Tonight I thought I’d wander over to Penn Station to take some night shift portraits. It’s open all night and there’s a good variety of places open late to go and when you’ve got a variety of places, there’s a variety of people, which is just what I want.
Tonight we're going in the opposite direction of the last two evenings, so you get to see the other side of the sidewalk outside of where I work.
This is a couple doors down from where I work. I love how they keep the "On Demand Printing" sign on while they're closed. Irony at its finest hour.
And we turn the corner and Penn Station is just a block away.
And here we are, Penn Station at 11:28 pm in the evening.
Okay, I wrote about this on the 365 blog, but I'm going to write about it again, because it's something that has bugged me ever since I moved to New York and have been traveling here at Penn Station. See the woman on the left? She just pushed me aside as she hurriedly runs down the escalator. What's wrong with that, you may wonder, she's just in a hurry to catch her train to Bumblefuck, New Jersey, why be upset over that? Well normally I wouldn't be, but there's a full set of stairs right next to the fucking escalator! If you want to run to catch your stupid-ass train, take those and leave the escalator for those of us who aren't in such a goddamned hurry!
And what kills me is the stairs are more than twice the size of the escalator. Yet it never fails that people choose the escalator to run down. Life is never easy.
Most of stores on the first floor close early, so we'll go to the lower level. Thankfully this escalator is people-free.
And here we are in the underground of Penn Station.
Here's a crew of Long Island commuters all staring at the Long Island train schedule in commuter zombie style.
Whenever someone from Long Island asks why I choose to live in the city when I could live there a lot cheaper, I think of standing in Penn Station and staring at this every night and I'm happy to pay Manhattan rent and live in a tiny apartment that I can to walk to work from.
Okay, here's a long string of stores open late. Let's go meet some of the night shift workers at Penn Station.
I like the fact that Penn Station has a late night book store, so I thought that would be the first stop.
This is Ryan who runs the cash register here. He told me he's worked here for 8 months and he gets off work around midnight, so his shift was just about over. He said he likes working the night shift because that's when all the manic depressives come out. He read me like a book, which is why he probably works there.
After leaving Penn Books I ran into Brian outside. Brian's worked as a custodian for Penn Station for 10 years. He's a nice guy and said he's happy to have his job.
Here's the Papaya hot dog counter, let's see who's toiling away in the midnight hour here.
Meet Medhat, he's a true overnight worker who told me his shift ends at 6 in the morning.
just a few doors down is the Rose Pizza and Pasta restaurant, let's check that out.
Samuel and Crystal work behind the counter at the restaurant. Their shift ends at 2 am and they, like everyone else I've met tonight said they like working evenings here. Nice to know I'm not the only person who prefers to work on the other side of the workday.
Hellooo...what have we here? Why it looks like...a bar! Deja vu!
There's a decent crowd in here, but I spy a seat, let's go snag it. Holy shit, I'm reverting back to the 365 guy!
And here's Nev, the friendly bartender who happily serves me up a beer. Nev told me he's worked here for five years and said he loves working nights. His shift ends at one in the morning. He told me he sleeps in every single day. Ah, that's the beauty of the night shift. Sleeping during rush hour.
After my beer I went outside and this gentlemen had just started performing for a crowd of travelers.
He's a great musician and was playing a reggae tune.
After I took this shot he finished the song and I bought one of his CD's for five bucks. His name is Jahstix and you can check out his website here: JAHSTIX.
Okay, that's all for tonight. Time to take the escalator up...
And back out into the night. Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark.
Penn Station
Between 31st and 33rd St. and btw. 7th and 8th Ave.
Open 24 hours
Further reading: Transit Hub, New York Architecture, The Bowery Boys, City Room
Nightcap
28 Comments
Reader Comments (28)
Escalator pushers, manic depressives and out and out psychos aside, speaking as a veteran Travis Bickle night driving vampire type myself; you meet a better class of people at night.
I spend 3+ hours a day commuting. I envy anyone who can walk to work. I would not care what hours I'd have to work, to have that kind of life !!!
Hay Marty , to bad you can't do a Marty After Dark in Toulouse , there is allot of late night stuff here , like going to check out the fire jugglers at The Garonne & hope I learn how to be one when I move here , I Just Love Toulouse So Fucking Much . This Video I made second time here & he is one of Morgane's Friend , Merlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-jvl1PUrUk
PS : Where going to AB Bar in a few min's , will drink one for You !!
Cheers & Beers Bitches !!!!!!
When I worked the midnight shift I tried to stretch the weekend by staying up when I got home. Mind you I was working from 11:30 pm until 8 am. So on Saturday morning when I left work i was as happy as a clam because I didn't have to go back until Mon nite. Problem was that by 7pm Sat I was passed out basically. I do remember that the night shift seemed to pass really quick, before you knew it, 3 am, lunch, then a break at 6 am then, just like that its time to go. I did get really sleepy driving home in the sunshine, lucky I never crashed.
@Jaws: You taklin' to me?
@GENE: I feel lucky that I've never had to commute to work, and luckier still that I got an apartment in the city 14 blocks from my job.
@JHwang: Send me an after dark photo of the AB Bar.
@Al: Where did you work the night shift? And you're right, time does move faster when you work nights, I don't know why.
I worked at the Post Office for 30 years. The first 3 on the midnight shift, then I worked afternoons there going in about 2pm til 10:30pm, did that for about 5 years, then worked mornings going in about 6am to 2:30 pm, did that for about 20 years,,,then back to midnights for a short time. One time I was able to go in about 5 in the afternoon until 1:30 in the morning. I think I worked every shift you could imagine, until I retired.
@Al: That 6am shift would've killed me!
working the late shift can be isolating and lonesome. the first few weeks are ok, since it's a break from the daily grind of the rush hour commute. but after a while -- meh, depressing as hell. unless one is a writer or an artist, something that's pre-occupy themselves and fight off the melancholia during the day, then the late shift is tolerable.
i've also been wanting to photograph the city at night, esp. late nights and just share them to others, esp. the transplant,s on what nyc is really like, that it's not just the shopping mall that it has become. show them the people that makes this city working. but i nay haz no camera (just the mobile phone one). but am glad you're doing this series. now, i don't have to.
cheers.
ee
@ee: I know most people feel like you do, but I find it the opposite. But like you say, I do use the off time for writing and I don't mind the isolated feeling. Yikes, maybe I am Travis Bickle! I'm glad you're enjoying the blog!
Cool post, Marty! And nice to meet all of your fellow late-nighters! It's good to know that they still have a book store down there (with an ATM for Joey D.), proving that the Crapdle hasn't won yet. Love the tiles in the bar, the backsplash at Rose, and the friendly vibe you got from each and every one of your peeps (except that pushy broad on the escalator). Plus, five bucks for a CD is a downright steal. TO INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS! And NIGHT WORKERS EVERYWHERE!
I am such a night person I almost wish i could homeschool my kids or find a school that ran on vamp hours and I'd have a much better disposition.
but no they make me get up early.. but thats ok cause i think "BITCH" mode is working just fine these days.
@Biff: TO INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS! And NIGHT WORKERS EVERYWHERE!
@Gidgie: That's one of the reasons I didn't have kids, they don't start sleeping in till the teen years.
I love that black and white shot of Penn Station! I really like the Nightcap videos too, nice choices. I need to start reading this after dark though, it doesn't feel right when the sun is out! LOL!
Thanks for the shout out to Bunt's! I was wondering how long it would take for you to hit a bar on this blog...3 days. Thats better than I could have done! As for the night workers, I'm a bit half and half. I start around midday and go through to about 10pm. Best of both worlds....I'm gonna hit the snooze button and catch another hour or so zzzzz.
To the real Vampires!
A challenge to Marty; do the same story Friday/Saturday @ Penn Station from around midnite to 2 am, especially when it's warmer out. "Jersey Shore Meets Strong Island"
@Barfly: I'm glad you're liking the photos. And I think you're right, the night time is the right time to view the MAD blog.
@Clacky of Bunt's: Happy to throw your linkage out there. I'm enjoying your stories and videos at Bunt's online until I can visit the real thing.
@cp: Challenge accepted! Maybe I'll do it in May.
Is MAD a 365 day long thing again? I never thought to ask.
@Clackyof Bunt's: No, there's no time limits or rules on this one, it's going to be a lot more free-form. And I won't be going out every night either, I'll be doing it from my apartment on Friday nights and cheeseburger Saturday night may happen once in a while at my place as well. But I'm not abandoning the bars, probably about once a week I'll be hitting one and doing it in the 365 bar crawl style.
Marty -
Welcome back!
Lookin forward to following the new gig!
Now BostonMADfan
@BostonMADfan: Thanks for coming over to this blog! I hope you enjoy the new adventures, there'll be a new update every day, usually around noon. Glad to have you back!
damn used to wrok 11 P.M. to 7A.M. at a full serve gas depot (read station)...during the year or so i did that gig was held up twice K.O.ed once and if you came around after midnight you might have been lookin' down the barrel of a .357...but if you came around 7 A.M. might have invited you to a gin mill (read bar) for "breakfast"..."no pictures please"...gotta a kick out of fat al's post and anonymous271 question...guess he never viewed your post about "the house of brews" or the "asian" town car dude after the fat lady sang...no no..the fat bitch that grab your cab....
rr
@rr: I'd like to hear more stories from the gas depot days for sure!
My ex worked the night shift 8 of the 10 years we were married. I wouldn't recommend it for a healthy marriage. I hate mornings, but I like being able to go to stores and such. NOTHING is open here after 10 or so. I lucked out with my son, he loves to sleep in as much as I do.
@kari: The night shift is definitely for single poeple or for two that are both working it. I think that's why most people don't want to be working nights.
Glad you're back blogging Marty, and I like this new theme. Your point about choosing a tiny Manhattan apartment over a LIRR commute is well taken. I regularly travel back and forth on Amtrak (to Boston) and it's really nice to see this blog post which humanizes Penn via the many people who keep it alive overnight. I hope you pay another visit, in the wee-wee hours maybe next time. "Todd"
@Todd: Thanks for checking out the new blog! I will be going back to Penn station occasionally, if you see me, holler out and I'll buy you a beer or three!
Ugh. I hate getting up early even though I have to. It's never a pleasant thing. I'm a night hawk too :)
I love that you posted a link to 'fucking vampire' haha...I didn't know what I was going to get!
Sometimes I really wish I could afford to live in New York City (with my current lifestyle)...It's such a cool place, I really have to go back soon.
Stupid escalator biatch!
@Darleya: I lucked out on getting a rent-subsidized apartment. Plus in New York you don't need a car, so that's a huge expense you never have. You can walk to a lot of places and the subway is a cheap ride to anywhere in and out of the city. I couldn't live anywhere else.