The Subway Stop Rule

There's a joke in the New York dating show that you shouldn't date someone who lives more than 1 subway stop away from you.

I can vouch for the Subway Stop Rule.

While still living in New York this past summer, I went to a black tie wedding with a boy I was seeing. He lived in Stuyvesant Town on East 18th St. and the Eastern edge of Manhattan. I lived on West 89th St. and the other edge of Manhattan. There is no direct route of public transportation between these two points. You must take a minimum of 2 modes, be it 2 busses, 2 subways, or 1 subway and 1 bus. I stayed over. We got back at about 5am. I was a broke chick in Publishing, so a cab was way out of the question. At 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, I stood in my beaded top and chiffon skirt balancing on my 5" silk, ankle wrap heels waiting for a bus. Parents were pulling their children away from me. I might as well have been naked. I called AW on the phone to describe where I was standing and what I was wearing. She giggled with absolute delight. And yes, I answered, my hair was still in half an up-do and my smoky eyes were still remotely smoky.

Anyways, in DC, no such rule exists. I do have my car here, so technically, it doesn't really have to apply. But when you date someone within the city, and they happen to live 1.08 miles from your apartment, the ability to be spontaneous about sleepovers drains away. In order to stay at APK's on a school night, I have to figure out if I am bringing my clothes over, taking a cab back to my place in the evening, take a cab back in the morning, driving over and parking somewhere overnight, or driving over and parking on a street that require me to move my car by this evening. I just thank heavens I can opt to wear my sweats and sneakers for the night. A couple Sunday mornings ago, my cab driver from his place asked me if I was on my way to church... seeing as I was forced to put my Saturday evening attire back on to get home. I lowered my head and said yes.