The Subway Gene

I've talked/written about this before. Virtually all native New Yorkers - and I'm sure natives of other big cities as well - are born with a Subway Gene. You simply know how to get around on the subway. Obviously, Venice doesn't have a subway but it does have an "on-way." The vaporetto system IS the subway, only it operates on the water. Therefore, if you have the Subway Gene, you can easily get around on the vaporetti.

Further evidence of the similarity between New York and Venice in terms of this Gene. At the Salute vaporetto stop early one weekday morning there were (see above) people on their way to work who directly corresponded to people on their way to work in the NYC subway. Witness - left rear - very stylish woman professional - red bag, magenta shoes, red jewelry, gray, black, tweed outfit - with ALL the newspapers. Right rear - sporty guy - expensive running shoes, jeans, sweater - reading the sports gazette. Right rear, mostly obscured, sitting on the bench - heavyset, bald, business guy, no papers, cell phone to ear. Right, almost front, sitting on the bench - older, extremely stylish man - brown wingtips (I know you can't see them but trust me), perfectly laundered jeans, white long-sleeve polo shirt, sage green sweater tied around his shoulders - with ALL the papers. If you could split-screen this scene with any Lexington Avenue subway station in NYC, they would be, for all intents and purposes, identical.

And here's more evidence. On several of the very hottest mornings since I've been here, the vaporetto that goes to the Lido has been PACKED with people, mostly women, going to beach. I had such nostalgic flashes of subway rides out to Brighton Beach when I was a little girl. Yes, I know it's a stretch in terms of fashion, style, environment but the principle is exactly the same. I'm tellin' you. It's genetic.