New Yorkers Befriend Lost Little Bug On The Subway
Commuting can be stressful, but last week, a little insect brought a bunch of grumpy New Yorkers a few moments of joy on a crowded train.
Samantha Ruddy, a stand-up comedian, was riding the Q train when she spotted the unusual green insect. New Yorkers tend to have a combative relationship with their bug neighbors — especially when they are trapped in a subway car together.
But to Ruddy's surprise, most of her fellow train riders were delighted by the bug.
“Another person noticed the bug was on their backpack and people were mostly amused with it,” Ruddy told The Dodo. “One person moved to the other end of the train car but most of us just thought it was cute.”
Ruddy took out her cell phone and snapped a few photos as people gingerly passed the bug around. “I figured it was a fun New York moment of strangers on the subway getting along,” Ruddy said.
One man identified the bug as a katydid, also known as a bush cricket, which is found all over the world.
For two stops people took turns holding the bug who, according to Ruddy, “seemed pretty chill.” When the train pulled into Union Square, one man volunteered to release the lost bug back into the wild.
Ruddy posted the story on Twitter, where it amassed over 12,000 likes and plenty of jokes about the subway in just a few hours.
“There was a cute bug on my train and instead of freaking out everyone in my subway car just took turns holding it,” Ruddy wrote on Twitter. “New York is the dumbest and I love it.”
When asked why this story touched so many people, Ruddy explained: “It’s kind of the dumbest story in the world. It’s essentially a news story about how a bunch of people didn’t kill a bug. But ... I think people cling to silly, sweet things.”
And, while it might not be the biggest news, for one lucky katydid, a group of New Yorkers cared enough to help him get home.
Original post here.