Mission Accomplished!

Tia and I met this morning, got on the train and pitched our offer asking commuters to join us in a subway social group. The great part is that we did it! However we only handed out a couple cards and I was expecting the response to be better. I'm still having trouble with being loud enough and really projecting my voice. We'll keep trying.

Mission #2: For the coming week I will continue to collaborate with Tia but since she is only available Thursdays and Fridays, I am going to try something else too. My plan is to stick to the same train at the same time and try to more directly get people involved by pitching to them day after day. So the mission is: for the upcoming Fri, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thursday to run the same pitch to the same people and see what happens. I will report back next Friday!

One More Day

It took longer than anticipated, but tomorrow Tia and I are going out to do the mission I laid out last week. It was supposed to happen Monday but got pushed to tomorrow. Turns out it's a lot harder coordinating multi-person missions than I had thought. A few weeks ago I tried to do something similar with Tia and person X, and after a few failed attempts in getting a day we can all meet, X backs out last minute. So Tia and I really need to do a good job tomorrow so we can attract more people, so we can do a 3-person demonstration next week. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post.

How I First Started

I thought I would share a copy of the card I used when I first started. The first day I made an announcement on the train 2 people suggested I had out cards. So I promptly printed up cards and started handing them out. I stopped using them after a couple weeks when I got more clarity on what I wanted to do. 

Moving Ahead

I haven't been making as much progress recently as I've wanted. But not because I don't know what do to but because it's just easier not to take action. I tell myself there's always another day etc. So I decided to write a mission statement each week on this blog and report back at the end of the week on my success or failure. This way I am held accountable. While the path is still murky I know I won't get clarity unless I try something.

I do have a vision of what I want the end result to look like which I never really explained so I will do so now. I want to create a social network on the subway that allows us to connect with one another while we ride and then possibly continue these relationships off the train. And the group will have a number of predefined purposes so it won't be just about meeting someone and chatting randomly. The reason for this is because it's hard to just make conversation with a stranger, but with a clearly defined motive it's easier. The way I imagine this being played out is that we all wear armbands of different colors or patterns that designate what we are interested in, perhaps blue to discuss music with a fellow rider and exchange a listen on each other's ipod, perhaps orange to share something personal or get advice, etc. And then possibly take it to the next level where we are doing things for and with each other off the train. Of course this will really be practical once we grow big enough so there is someone on nearly every train car wearing an armband. (I did get really excited about this armband idea and have spoken to a manufacturer in China about making them--30¢ or 60¢ with logo.) I also think once there is a critical mass of people doing this, it will change the whole dynamic and culture on the subway. So instead of riding to work in silence there will be another option. And for those not in the know about the group will nevertheless experience a different vibe sitting on a train where people are interacting.

So the overall mission is to build this social group! A couple days last week I pitched the idea in this way on the train. While I got some great positive responses, it became very clear to me that I need to start doing this with a partner. Start with 2 then move on to 3 and so on. If it's just me then many people think I'm a lone nut. And for those who don't think so are still reluctant engage me on the train because they don't want to be the person caught talking to the lone nut. I know this because people very often come up to me when I walk off the train or when they are about to get off and ask for a card. And for those that do stop me on the train I can tell that they are self conscious about having people watch us talk.

Now getting down to this week's mission: Get a friend to come out with me on the train to act as my first buddy in this social network.

More specifically, we get on the train together, I give a little intro talk about starting a subway social network, introduce my friend and ask if anyone wants to join us. Present it as if we're 2 morning commuters who ride this train every day to work. And we hand out cards with our contact info. But in addition we will demonstrate the social network in action by doing something with each other. My current idea is I will say that today we decided to reveal to each other something really personal or embarrassing, and we then each scribble on a paper our confession and exchange it with the other. This will get people interested and curious but we won't reveal what we wrote. But it's something everyone can imagine doing too if they became a part of the group. I have a few friends that I've made through starting this subway thing that are good candidates and plan to find one of them to join me on this, either J., T., C., K., M., or N. (using first initial for now).  I am giving myself until next Thursday November 11 to get this done!

SubMate!

I just discovered something awesome! SubMate. Many of you have been asking me for a website to connect with other commuters, and while I have been in discussions with a web developer to make such a site, it turns out one already exists! At first when I saw the site I was like, "oh crap, they beat me to it," but then I realized that I am losing sight of my mission which is to improve our commute and bring something of value, and if these guys have already built a system to do just that, then I should direct you to it. I have contacted the founders of SubMate with the plan of working together with them and offer my ideas of how to expand beyond the website. This will become clear as time goes on. Give the site a try--I think you'll like it.

We're in The Wall Street Journal!

Most of you probably got here through the Journal article. So welcome and thanks to Brad and Ebele for being the first commenters on here. More great things are to come, and I plan to call on all of you in the near future to help move "this" forward.

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2010/09/24/the-subway-social-network/

Guest Post By Melissa

Normally I transfer to an R train in the morning, which is usually less busy than the F train in the morning, but adds a couple of minutes on my commute time. But on that particular morning, I was running late and decided to stay on the F train the whole way to get to work. Right before I was about to get off on 23rd street, Solomon announced his idea to the car. I thought it was just lovely. I grabbed a flyer before I headed off the train, and decided to email him once I got to work about advice for going back to school for a career change. But quite frankly it is inspiring me to think of my own ways to contribute and help others as well.  I don't know exactly how I can help others yet, but I'm ready to try my best.

Email from Christina

Hello Solomon,

You very graciously made this outlandish (to some, but not to others) offer on the northbound M train around 9am today, welcoming the strange faces before you to e-mail you with our suggestions for this "pay it forward"-type goal of yours.

After an unforeseen ending to my extended weekend yesterday, I thought of your proposal as a nice, reinvigorating breath of fresh air. (Whew!)

While I do not know if you are an escaped convict masquerading as a typical office laborer or if you have submitted to a recent battery of mental health checks and passed all with exceptional ratings, in theory I do want to jump on this bandwagon. The idea is surprising, different and fresh.

I'm uncertain whether what YOU offer is limited solely to the six options you list and whether what WE can give back to you is limited to the five options you list.

Therefore, I propose the following and it is completely up to you to accept or decline:

• You clean the soiled cages of my four male guinea pigs. It is usually done twice a week, but perhaps its owners can use a break from cleaning, scrubbing, wiping and washing.

In turn, I am willing to do anything for you, within reason and the confines of legality.

My boyfriend took a flyer from you, too. I am not sure if he intends to contact you with his idea(s). Either way, I did, and I commend you for being brave, innovative, and inspired enough to help complete strangers. For the record, my coworker thinks you're nuts (and I do, too, to a lesser extent, but at the same time I'm smitten by the concept) and says you're looking to get killed.

Perhaps you're new to New York, and a tad naive and utterly convinced of your immortality.

If my suggestion goes unheeded, that is fine.

If you want to throw suggestions my way, I'm all ears.

I simply thank you for trying to make the world, or at least your immediate surroundings, a better place to live.

Best,
C.

And here's my response:

Hi C,

You are ON!! I will clean your cages. I actually have guinea-pig-cage-cleaning experience. I just hope you don't live too far--I work in midtown and live uptown. Tell me when and where and I will be there. Hopefully this will suck you into my cause so it's a win for me too.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn and have killed 5 men in my lifetime in hand to hand combat so I can take care of myself. For the sake of honesty only the first half of the previous sentence is true.

Thank you for your email--it really gives me the motivation to keep going. And perhaps I am a little crazy, but aren't we all? "Nobody realizes how some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." -Camus. Well, I was normal for far too long and it was exhausting and empty. No more.

Solomon

Guest Post By Tia

I found myself on the F train as usual trying to squeeze into a small space without offending and successfully drowning out the surroundings with a good book. To my right, I hear the introductory phrase of someone you know is about to make grand proclamations for god or beg for money. "good morning everyone can I have a moment". My initial response was to drown out the voice, but I soon realized that this person was a man with an idea. So I listened up, took his business card and decided to email him to announce my interest.

I think the idea of exchanging things in a meaningful way on your daily commute is an idea worth trying out. New Yorkers live, travel and work in such close proximity to each other, yet they are cut off and removed, often opting for the ipod over a friendly conversation.

Maybe this will work, maybe it will fall into the obscurities of Solomon's mind never to be thought of again. Either way, im down to be a part of this and see what happens.

tia

Flyer 2

This is the flyer I'll be handing out tomorrow.

Hi! I would like to help you and ask if you can help me.

My offer to you:

Email me 1 thing you really want/need. Either:

1)     something you want to get or experience—e.g. a 5-star meal, a spa treatment

2)     help with fulfilling an important need—e.g. help finding a job, grad school help

3)     personal help/improvement—guidance in breaking free from an unhappy job, relationship…; becoming more social or confident

4)     any other specific need—packing/moving help, legal advice, someone to watch your dog, etc


I will reply to your email with some advice and direction. In addition I will choose one person each week and devote 5 hours of my time to really get you what you want, or get you close to it.

What’s in it for me:

·       I have this idea that we can exchange our knowledge, our resources, our skills, our time, our compassion on the subway. I just don’t know yet how to expand this concept and make it practical for everyone. Your email is feedback. The better I get at understanding what people want, the better I will be able to come up with solutions.

·       Maybe I will attract people who want to get involved or help out in some way. And ultimately I hope to get things that I want too

Please email me: Solomon Lederer manonmetro AT gmail  Blog: ugconnection.blogspot.com (comments welcome!)

I am working on helping Ida find a job. Can you help? I am also seeking someone that can offer legal advice to a new New Yorker who’s facing eviction. 

In the blank space above I have a photocopy of Ida's business card.