Love in Transit: One Guy Tells Us Why He Went Out of His Way to Find a Girl
Remember that story about Sylvia and Patrick…the couple who met on the subway platform, but didn't exchange numbers? For those of you who didn't catch it: The guy (Patrick) kicked himself for not getting any contact info from the girl (Sylvia) who he had a chance encounter with, so he left a note for her on the wall of a New York City subway station, hoping she'd see it and email him. That's right, he left his email out there for the whole city to see. Well, have I got news for you…
…Patrick saw my original post about the incident (my sister and I just happened to find the note in the subway station!), and he offered to share his side of the story with us. Here's his sweet-and honest-account.
Jessica: So, what happened? How did you and Sylvia strike up a conversation?
Patrick: It was late one evening as I arrived on the D train platform; I noticed this girl waiting for her train. I actually couldn't really see much of her, as she was all bundled up from the cold weather outside. But, I could see her beautiful blue eyes, her black hair, and there was something about her that really attracted me. I asked her the first thing that came to mind: "Is the train running this late?" I don't really believe in pick-up lines-I think it's better to just say something pertinent to the situation you are in and be genuine. We talked for about five minutes, and I was able to make her smile a few times. Then, unfortunately, my train came.
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J: Why didn't you ask for her contact info at the time?
P: As the train was coming, all of the "environmental" elements hit me at once: It had been a long day, I was holding a lot of shopping bags, the train was approaching rapidly and there were at least 10 people listening to our conversation-they probably wanted to see how it was going to turn out, or maybe they were just amused by the situation. I asked her if she had a card, and she said she didn't. I took that as a rejection of sorts.
As soon as I got on the train, and the doors closed behind me, she smiled at me and waved. That's when I realized what a fool I was-I should have just asked for her email or number. I guess I just got lost in the moment.
J: How did you decide to leave the note in the subway station?
P: Sometimes, old-school methods still work best. Getting paper and duct tape seemed like a simple, effective solution…finally, that roll of duct tape I bought in 1994 came in handy!
Honestly, I didn't think about the fact that my email address was going to be available to every weirdo and stranger in town, but I guess you never really think straight in matters of the heart.
J: What kind of responses have you received? What do your friends think?
P: The funny thing is, I didn't get one inappropriate email. I received five or six emails from women who wished me good luck in my pursuit of Sylvia. I realized that my note had made quite a stir when I received an email from a woman in California (!) who heard about my note from a friend and thought that it was a really cute thing to do; she wished me good luck!
My friends thought that I was crazy to do such a thing. They said, "We live in NYC with eight million people! All the creeps are going to write to you. What are the chances that this girl will ever see the note and get in touch with you? One in a million!"
Well, I'll take one in a million over zero in a million any day.
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J: What are your thoughts on romance and dating in general?
P: There are many people in NYC that are always searching for that one special person who will make them laugh and make them feel special...many of them are very attractive, interesting, "normal" and kind-hearted. Most of these people complain about the dating scene. If you really want to meet someone special, you have to make it happen.
J: And, most importantly, have you heard from Sylvia?
P: Sadly, no. But, I feel good that at least I tried. Better luck next time...and with a pool of eight million people, chances abound!
Thanks so much, Patrick!
How sweet is this? Do you agree with Patrick's thoughts on love and dating? Do you disagree with anything? Do you wish you were Sylvia?! :)
