Subway Survival Guide: Best Ways to Kill Time on the 4/5/6 Train
According to recent news, the 6 train has an on-time rate of 89.6% in 2025. That makes it among the more reliable in the city, which makes sense, given the distance it has to cover during the crowded morning rush. It’s there, packed in with the rest of the city, that you can’t help but stare blankly ahead, listening in on the city’s strangest stories and wishing that the train could move just a little bit faster.
With nothing but tunnel for a long stretch of the journey, windows provide no relief to passengers. If you want to make it through the commute without dying of boredom, you’ll need to pick up something to keep yourself occupied. With this subway survival guide, you’ll find the minutes of boredom between stations turning into a quiet stretch of relaxation.
The Dead Zone Dilemma
Credit where it’s due, the MTA has done its part in making underground connectivity better. However, it’s still not uncommon to hit that patch of tunnel between the 59th and 42nd Street, only to see the spinning wheel of death interrupt whatever you were reading or watching. That’s why most experienced Upper East Siders come prepared with some offline entertainment.
You don’t have to commit a lot of your phone’s storage space to movies or TV shows, either. That’s why many commuters are turning to low-intensity activities like puzzle and card games. If you need a refresher, there’s no shortage of guides on how to play solitaire or how to beat a particularly annoying puzzle level. Since it’s all on your phone, you don’t have to worry about dead zones, making card games a great way to kill time on the train.
The Art of the People Watch
Of course, not everyone is a gamer. Fortunately, the train itself offers a chance to indulge a classic Manhattan pastime: people-watching. If you’ve spent any time on the 4/5/6 train, you’ll know there’s no shortage of interesting people around. Juilliard students practicing fingerings on a violin neck, tourists trying to figure out if they’re on the Local or the Express, the list is endless.
That said, people-watching exposes you to the cardinal sin of NYC transit etiquette: making eye-contact. It can also cause an unexpected bout of mental exhaustion as your eyes settle on a fellow commuter’s questionable sandwich. Too much risk for not enough reward, which is why many turn to smartphones for help.
Time for a Good Book
A lot of people complain about not having time to read, and with how busy life gets, that’s understandable. However, if you find yourself lucky enough to snatch a seat on the train, you’ve got a perfect opportunity to spend a few minutes catching up with a different world. Dead zones don’t affect paperbacks, and there’s no risk of accidental eye-contact.
Of course, you don’t have to commit to a full-on book. Audiobooks and digital editions allow you to enjoy a book on your smartphone and cut down on how much you’re carrying with you. Given how cramped the lines can be, that’s not a bad call.
Either way, one train ride after another, you’ll have that book down in no time. And once you wrap up one tome, why not pick up another? By the time next year rolls around, you might be among the 33% of Americans who read more than four books.
The Ride’s at Its End
By the time the conductor announces your stop, you might find you’ve gone from thankful the ride is over to being disappointed. Still, having to stop mid-chapter or while you’re trying to find the best move in solitaire isn’t the end of the world.
You can wrap things up during your lunch break, or even sneak some time during work for personal pleasures. Either way, you’ll find your commute has become a bit more enjoyable.