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Glitches in the Matrix. Situations that are beyond bizarre. Those are just some of the things you sign up for when you use the subway to get around. There’s something about this particular mode of public transport that brings some of the strangest parts of humankind out into the open.

At times, you see someone sit down in front of a sign that resembles them almost perfectly, and you end up wondering if you accidentally stumbled into an episode of ‘Black Mirror’ or ‘The Twilight Zone.’ We’ve collected pics of some of the weirdest coincidences that passengers have ever spotted on the tube, as featured by the incredibly popular ‘Subway Creatures’ social media project. Scroll down to check them out, remember to upvote your fave pics, and check out Bored Panda's interview with the project's founder, Rick McGuire.

More info: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok | LinkTree

Rick is the creator of both 'Subway Creatures' and 'What Is New York,' both incredibly successful social media projects that have fans all over the world.

Bored Panda was interested to get Rick's take on why 'Subway Creatures' is so popular on the internet. He told us that it "appeals to so many people around the globe because of the many unique, talented, and crazy people who use the subway system on a daily basis."

Meanwhile, "New Yorkers can relate to it and everyone else can't believe what they are seeing. Just when you think you've seen it all, something new happens."

The subway system in New York City is, by and large, one of the most efficient ways to get around the city. It gets incredibly busy: in 2020, around 2 million people used the subway each day. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, roughly 640 million people rode the subway that year. However, that pales in comparison to pre-Covid times.

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    #3

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    Darius Strolia
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This happened to me once except she was the princess and I was the puppy.

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    In 2019, a whopping 5.5 million people rode the NYC subway each day. This added up to nearly 1.7 billion (yup, that’s billion, not million) rides that year alone. With such a busy system and so much movement, it makes sense that you’ll end up seeing more people acting weirdly: you’re exposed to more strangers than elsewhere.

    We were curious about the advice that Rick would give tourists who are completely new to New York City and its subway.

    "People can be easily intimidated by the NYC subway system but in general it isn't that hard to navigate," he told us.

    "Some sage advice would be to stay away from the edge of the platforms and if you see an empty train car, just remember—there's probably a reason it's empty in NYC," Rick warned.

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    ‘Subway Creatures’ is a massively popular online project that’s a powerhouse on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter. On Instagram alone, the project has a whopping 2.7 million followers.

    Meanwhile, 776k people follow the Facebook page, another 1.1 million internet users follow the TikTok account, and 37.3k folks are fans of the project on Twitter.

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    With a presence like that, the odds are that you’ve seen something posted by ‘Subway Creatures’ on your social media feeds even without knowing it. If it’s something fun, quirky, silly, and downright weird that’s happening on the subway, someone’s bound to send the pic to the team running the project. For anyone who’s seen something totally weird on the tube, it’s relatable and funny. Meanwhile, for anyone who has never even been on the metro, it is an eye-opener.

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    Bored Koala
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She's lovely! AND she's perfectly aware of the whole thing and posing for the photo!

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    Rick, the founder of ‘Subway Creatures,’ previously told Bored Panda all about passenger culture in New York. 

    "One way to spot a true New Yorker on the subway is to find the person minding their own business and not distracted by anything going on around them," he told us via email earlier.

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    "They [New Yorkers] don’t sit under the subway map because they know that’s inviting tourists to stand over them while they try to navigate the city. They don’t clap for the 'Showtime' performers and they know that if there’s an empty subway car, there’s a reason no one’s on it—time to move to the next!" Rick shared some of the subtle signs to tell who’s a real New Yorker and who’s just visiting.

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    Mayra
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A book that tells you the ending on the cover, I’m intrigued! Has anyone read this?

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    Take me to dinner first
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This one looks a bit uncomfortable. People are taking pics without saying anything, aren't they?

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    "A lot of the same people and same etiquette apply to all forms of transportation in NYC. However, the subway is unique in that there are platforms, tunnels, and subway cars which present opportunities for many different 'activities' compared to the buses or ferry. You are much less likely to catch performers, musicians, and weird situations on a crosstown bus—but I’m not saying that doesn’t happen!" Rick told us a bit about how the subway differs from other modes of public transport in The Big Apple.

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    "For a while during the pandemic, the NYC subway system was pretty desolate and people were very wary about traveling places around strangers. That has visibly changed in the last year or so and it’s very obvious that more people are now using it again," Rick told us last time.

    "For some reason, crime has spiked in the subway since the pandemic and that’s another leading cause to why some people refuse to use it these days. It seems more and more people are either walking places or using other means of transportation such as bikes, electric scooters, etc. It’ll be interesting to see if this trend continues in the future,” he said.

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    fair_weather_rose (she/they)
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    these are the exact same seats that were on the train i took to school this morning. is this design widely used, or should i be concerned about strangers taking pictures of me?

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    Though many of us dislike long commutes, they do have some positives if you’re willing to look for the silver lining. Career coach Rita Friedman previously told Bored Panda that commutes can act as breaks that help us manage our stress levels.

    "A commute is literally a transitional unit of space and time, and a lot of commuters use it as their break between the responsibilities of home and the responsibilities of work or school, so it's the perfect moment to look at pictures of failed cakes or animals making funny faces. It's just nice to have time where nobody is holding you accountable," she told us during an earlier interview.

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    Darius Strolia
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mmmmmmmmhhh, I really liked the bar tonight where they gave you a dog as a receipt... S'cool.. why not everywhere...yeah, solve the world... Oh, ...Oh .. we should get hot dogs before we get home... Mmmmmmmphzbit.

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    #26

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    Vixxxen Foxxx
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just taking pics of complete strangers and posting them.... Just seems weird, especially without their consent or even their knowledge.

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    You could, for instance, use your commute to listen to a podcast or scroll through social media. Doing nothing and zoning out while looking out of the window can also help your mind rest… and come up with unusual new ideas. Some people also choose to use their commutes to warm up their minds for work by doing some small tasks or refreshing their memories on relevant information. And they might not even realize that they’re sitting underneath a subway sign or ad that totally resembles them.

    #28

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    Feathered Dinosaur
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In Germany the employer has to pay for work clothes, when they're required for working

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    #30

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    Kobe (she)
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He looks like he is ready for attack. like ;WTF are you taking my picture without asking....

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    Which of these pics did you enjoy the most, dear Pandas? Do we have anyone who's based in NYC in the house tonight? What are your thoughts on using the subway to get around: do you love it or do you prefer other modes of public transport? What are the weirdest things you've seen on the metro? Don't be shy, drop by the comments and share your thoughts!

    Meanwhile, when you're done with this list, you might want to check out Bored Panda's earlier feature about people and animals accidentally ending up near signs that resemble them right over here.

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    #35

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    Sally Signup
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm half asleep. For a minute I thought disembodied-cutout-woman was someone in the background. Then I noticed she didn't have legs.

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    #42

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    Darius Strolia
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She does look healthy now.. Remember her intervention where the priest got handsy with grammy. She does look better without white lines. G.B.A. ( G-d Bless 'Murica) for all these medical choices that one may make on the subway. Anyhoo, good on her.

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    #43

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    Feathered Dinosaur
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    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's that penis/s*****m lookalike map again! Edit: oh come on, BP. S-c-r-o-t-u-m

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    #45

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    #47

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    #50

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    #51

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    #53

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    #54

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    Darius Strolia
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sometimes you board the A- train, sometimes the A- train boards you . Or is there something I'm missing here? Seems lovely.

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    #55

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    Chia
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I often don’t smile when I’m minding my own business and I don’t realize I am being photographed.

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    #59

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    Khavrinen
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had to look at this one several times before I noticed the logo on his hat.

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    #61

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