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I’m excited for my friend Dwayne, who just published The ‘Essential’ New York (My Life and Travels During the Covid-19 Pandemic). I’ve ordered mine! What I’m most looking forward to: he’s included some of the haunting photos he’s taken of what the subway system has looked like since the beginning of quarantine, and the city in general. I was following these on Instagram and really enjoying them!
I asked Dwayne some questions about quarantine, New York, and the Subway…
What struck you most about the quarantine?
There’s a scene in the movie ‘The Devil’s Advocate” in which Keanu Reeves walks down 57th Street and there is no one for blocks. No people, traffic, not a living soul. That’s pretty much how Manhattan looked like from March to May. That’s when I decided to take out my Samsung Galaxy Note phone to record these empty streets, subway trains and stations.
Have New Yorkers been fastidious about mask-wearing, quarantine, and other Covid restrictions? Have those habits changed over time?
At the very beginning, most people were cavalier about Covid, even to the point of making jokes about it. But when the mandate from the Governor came down and the body count started to rise, the fun and games ended–time to man/woman up. The next day, people on the trains wore their masks, sat in their seats and spoke very little.
The subways turned into a library on rails.
Did/do you yourself have any specific concerns about quarantine?
In the beginning, every night going to work felt like a death march. I didn’t want to go out like this. So I was extra careful where I sat and very much aware as to whom I sat near. If someone sneezed or coughed, all eyes in that car looked right at that person. Later on, my concerns turned to my family members and exposing them to this virus.
Had someone caught it and it was traced back to me, I could never forgive myself. My youngest son works in a hospital, most times pulling a double shift, and he lives with asthma. He’s MY hero.
Were you ever stopped and needed to show your letter?
The only time I had it in hand was during the George Floyd protests. Let the cops know that I’m out here for another purpose.
Did the protests change the emptiness of the subways that had come with Covid?
In Brooklyn, the protesters met at Barclays Center as the rally point. Then walked up Flatbush Avenue to cross the bridge into Manhattan. So the subways were never affected by the disruptions.
How do the subways currently feel?
New York as a whole is currently running at 40%. Broadway shows and movie theaters are still dark, but restaurants are encouraged to set up sidewalk dining. People are slowly returning to the subways. This past Friday night, I’ve noticed more people on my A train around 9pm. Before Covid, (B.C.), that same train would be packed from Chambers Street right up till Columbus Circle.
And once a vaccine hits the market, New York will bounce back. With a little bit of wisdom under its belt. Be it natural disasters, terrorism or pandemic, don’t count us out.
One last thing:
Transit Workers took a huge blow because of Covid. We lost over 130 men and women from this virus. Every day I go to work with them in my thoughts. It took this disaster to finally show the world how vital our service is. Let’s not let their sacrifice go in vain. Folks, wash your hands, wear a mask, do your part to end this nightmare.
How to order Dwayne’s book:
If you want to order from the publishing platform directly, Dwayne gets a higher royalty. If you’re more comfortable with Amazon.com, you can find it there as well:
