People in the big city are always “busy”. The city is a big place and there is lots to do, so what does it mean when people speak so much of being busy? Do they have multiple careers (a day and night job), are they completely remodeling their living space, do they have one or more kids who are involved with multiple extra curricular activities, or do they only have one job but are so junior they need to work 70 hour weeks. Would you be surprised if someone told you that a large majority of these “busy people” are single, have only one day job, and live in an apartment.
Living in the big city certainly kicks ones “life speed” up a notch to the point where you seemingly are “very busy” but the question is “Busy doing what?” This is about what in the city consumes so much time to cause everyone to be so “busy.” The big city with all its attractions, theater, glitter, and meeting places is a huge time suck.
Nothing happens quick in the city. In New York City for example, going from uptown to downtown can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Anywhere else, in 15-30 minutes you can be in a different town or go from the city to the country. In NYC, it takes you from one area with skyscrapers to another less than a mile away. So, its a “big deal” if you can save 5 minutes taking a taxi as opposed to taking the bus or train and saving $15. However, in most cases public transportation is faster, only less glamorous - so arriving in a taxi (from a class or style perspective) is better than just walking up. In fact if you even look as though you had to hurry to arrive on time you receive “style” points for still making it on time.
Everything in the city is delivered. Dry cleaning is delivered, food of any type is delivered, even MacDonald’s delivers in the city. Because people want to save time, they have their groceries delivered. The same people can save time not cleaning up the kitchen if they have their food delivered.
All this time it takes to get places has a big impact on when things happen. Few people in the city for example eat at 6:00 pm. In fact, if you want dinner reservations anywhere just ask for 6 pm and you you can get in (many places don’t even open until 6) you will have your pick of seating. The normal eating time in the city is after 7 pm and among young people it can be much later than that - 8 or 9 pm is very typical. Why so late? Because people are, well, “Busy.” They have to meet up for drinks after work, go home and find something to wear, walk their pet, buy groceries, or run some other errand. By the time all this gets done, its easily after 7 pm which is just enough time to rush somewhere to go eat.
When people talk of living in the big city they are quick to point out all the obvious benefits: sites, theater, variety. Interestingly, if you ask many of these people when is the last play or museum they attended you would get the once in a blue moon response. I believe the tourists make up a great portion of the visitors to these attractions as the local residents either can’t afford it or can’t be bothered with going because it chews up too much time.
Going out to meet friends is big and to most single people in the city, that activity makes up a large portion of their non-working hours. Going out with friends can be as simple as meeting some place different, going for a walk in some cool place, meeting in a bar you have heard good things about, or just talking on the phone or Internet when there is nothing interesting on.
In the end, “busy” becomes more of a convenient excuse for the city’s ability to speed up time such that the precious hours each person has free each night after work magically evaporates in the midst of doing the simplest of things. Busy is the socially accepted excuse for people in the city to avoid meeting people they don’t like but are uncomfortable telling them as well ending an unwanted call or terminating an unwanted encounter.
