For our i-movie project, we chose the Roosevelt Island tram. When I went to the tram I found the ride to be much more enjoyable than a subway ride. It also served more of a tourist attraction than a mode of transport, in fact, there were so many tourists running towards the windows and the seats. When I went in the tram, it wasn’t as crowded as I anticipated, especially during rush hour. Although there were people on the tram I didn’t pay much attention to them because I was so focused on the views around me. What I noticed was the tram ride was much slower than I had remembered. Although I’m sure that this was for safety reasons, it also compelled me to take a break and actually take in my surroundings. The entire tram has windows all over and this provided such a 3-dimensional view of the city. One could literally see the space in all 360 degrees. The ride also amplified this idea of escaping the busy city life. The tram crawls out of the claustrophobic urbanization of the upper east side into the vast sky where when we look out, it’s a collage of leading lines, directing our eyes all over the picturesque view. On one side we have the vast east river and on the other side, we have the Queensboro bride which really merged the idea of urbanization and nature coming together. In comparison to a subway ride, the tram was rather calm, it was slow, not shaky, and you could almost not tell how long was left in the ride. One of the biggest realization I had on the tram was how small we are compared to the rest of the world because there were small openings in the tram that allowed you to look down below and the cars and people look like small ants compared to such a huge river and shows the dominance nature has over man, which I often fail to recognize in the city.
I find your analysis of the tram ride interesting in that you compared it with a subway ride; the former being slow and steady while the latter speeds ahead and often jostles your body. The experience of slowing down and appreciating the journey to your destination is something that many New Yorkers, including myself, tend not to worry about as we rush through our lives. Because of this, we often miss out on appreciating the wonderful architecture and diverse culture of the city surrounding us. We pass by these things everyday, and never really see them for what they are. I also agree with you on the symbolism of the bridge, in its connection of man with nature and the reminder to appreciate this dichotomy.