Dear Subway Dancers-
I’ve seen you on the train ever since I was a little kid and I was always in awe, asking my mother for money so that I could give to you all, people who I thought were so talented. However, now that I’m older I’ve begun to realize a couple of things that I think you all should consider.
Trains are not very safe, for neither you nor your audience. No one can control the speed of the train except the conductor, who cannot control anything that is going on inside their train. Trains can slow down, speed up, or turn at very fast speeds without warning, These conditions are hazardous to your routines, especially during the ones where you aren’t on the floor of the train. These conditions are hazardous to us, the passengers, as well. Any sudden movement of the train can cause anybody to move suddenly, directly into your path, which could end up harm both you and the passenger. I’m sure that you all are very careful and I can only imagine the amount of effort that goes into practicing and preparing your routines, but you are performing in an environment that is entirely out of your control, and as a passenger, I don’t need more hazards to pay attention to while taking the train.
Something else you all need to consider is who your audience is. Everyone on the train is looking to get somewhere, we didn’t fork over $2.75 because we wanted to “improve the MTA.” Although in-transit entertainment is nice, everyone has a book or a phone to entertain themselves these days, and if they don’t have anything out, they’re either talking to someone or asleep. The latter don’t like being interrupted, and the former are likely to look up and go back to whatever they were doing before your act began. In either case, you’re not likely to get much money. In addition to this, you can only perform at certain times during the day. Rush hour would be ideal, but there is no room to perform, and even if you could that would certainly be classified as dangerous. As a result, all of you must settle for off-peak hours, so there aren’t many people on the trains anyway, further decreasing the amount of money that you could have made.
To sum up, although having an audience who MUST sit through your performance in one way or another sounds ideal, the conditions in which such an audience is presented to you are not suitable for you or the passengers because of the danger presented and the amount of money that you can make.
However, I understand that you all have talent, and I find it fantastic that you all wish to express these talents. I understand that the fact that you all perform on a moving train adds something to your shows, but I would like to propose better places to show off your talents, and that would have a more receptive (and willing to give) audience.
There are several parks in New York City that have plenty of space for you to perform. Each individual show can have much more room to show off your talents, and as long as you don’t block any pathways, nobody will complain. People who are interested in seeing you perform can step up and watch, and people who don’t have the time or are aren’t interested can simply walk on. As a result, you are left with people who are actually interested in seeing you perform, and for the most part, willing to give you money. Although a permit is required to perform in a public park, it is a small price to pay in exchange for a safer environment with a more engaged audience, which could ultimately result in more money made for all of you.
I hope you understand that I really appreciate your talents, and I would like for all of you to perform in a manner that is safe for you and for us, and to make more money using the talents you have. Thank you!
-Frank Gutierrez
