“Fasten Your Seat Belts and Embrace the City”

Commuting into Manhattan has become a regular occurrence for me now since becoming a college freshman. However, there are moments when I still cannot help feeling like a tourist in the greatness that is New York City. Maybe that is why I found the recent article in the New York Times entitled “Fasten Your Seat Belts and Embrace the City” so amusing.

This article discusses a new attraction called “The Ride“, which consists of a tour of specific Manhattan highlights with a twist. This tour bus leaves from the Marriot Marquis for a 75 minute, 4.2 mile ride. “It is the tallest vehicle allowed by law; its audio systems emulate the punch of club sonics; and its cushioned 49 seats face the transparent side of the bus, allowing outsiders to see in, once its 40 video screens and 3,000 LED lights are illuminated.”

The bus offers a huge panoramic view of the City, which is incredible in itself, but that is not all. The company instrumental in producing this attraction also employs actors and spreads them out along the tour route. “A man purchases three hot dogs, then suddenly starts juggling them. A man with a sequined top hat and party paraphernalia reserves his spot for New Year’s Eve; he leaps around in celebration after the bus broadcasts a New Year’s countdown. A sailor just home from World War II bends over to kiss a nurse, recreating the renowned 1945 Alfred Eisenstaedt photograph.” These are just a handful of events to be witnessed over the course of this ride.

While “The Ride” does not aim to give tourists a realistic journey through New York City, it certainly seems like quite the amusing experience.