Ukugibela “Embotsheni Esemhlabathini”

BANTU baseNew York bathola ukuthi ngokuvamile indlela eshesha kakhulu yokuhambahamba edolobheni iwukusebenzisa “imbobo esemhlabathini”—isimiso semigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi saseDolobheni laseNew York.

Amadolobha amakhulu angaphezu kwangu-50 emhlabeni wonke anesimiso sojantshi abahamba ngaphansi, noma imigwaqo, futhi amanye asazakha lezizimiso. Ezinye izimiso zemigwawo ehamba ngaphansi zithe ukuhlanzeka kakhudlwana futhi zonga kakhudlwana kunezaseNew York, kodwa umbhali uStan Fischler encwadini yakhe iUptown, Downtown, uthi, “awukho umgwaqo ohamba ngaphansi . . . othakazelisa kakhulu, oyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu, ohlukahlukene nonemibala enhlobonhlobo kunowaseNew York.”

Ukuqala Kwayo

Umbono omfushane ngemigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi uyasiza ekuchazeni isizathu sokuba isimiso saseNew York sishukumise imizwelo enamandla—yokuyithanda neyokungayithandi. Izimiso zemigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi zakhiwa njengekhambi ekuminyaneni kwezimoto emigwaqweni yasedolobheni. Ngo-1863 iLondon yavula umgwaqo ohamba ngaphansi wokuqala, isebenzisa amaguzu. Nokho, kusobala ukuthi, umusi, umule, nentuthu kwaveza umoya ongafiseleki neze emihubheni. Kodwa lokho kwakuyinkokhelo yentuthuko. Ngokushesha iGlasgow, iBudapest, iBoston, iParis, neBerlin nawo aba nezimiso zemigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi.

INew York yephuza ukufika esimisweni semigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi uma kuqhathaniswa nezinye izindawo, kodwa njengoba inani labantu abahlala khona lalanda, isidingo sokuba nesimiso esinjalo saba sobala. Nokho, izihlongozo zoshintsho olusheshayo, zakhinyabezwa izazi zezombangazwe ezonakele ezazinezithakazelo ezingokwezimali ezintweni zokuhamba ezihamba ngaphezulu. Njengoba isimo sezimoto emgwaqweni sasiba nzima ngokwengeziwe, lelodolobha laphoqeleka ukuba lithathe isinyathelo sesikhashana: ojantshi abahamba phezulu, noma amaEl, futhi labojantshi baqala ukusebenza ngeminyaka yawo-1870. Babebukeka kabi futhi benomsindo, futhi njengoba kwakusetshenziswa amaguzu, umule, nemilotha eshisayo kwakuvame ukuchithekela kubantu ngezansi.

Iminyaka Emine Yomsindo Nenkathazo

INew York yaqala ukwakha ngesilinganiso esigcwele imigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi ngo-1900. Kodwa esikhundleni sokuvula imihubhe ekujuleni ngaphansi njengoba kwakuye kwenziwa eLondon, iNew York ngesibindi yakhetha ukusebenzisa indlela entsha kakhudlwana. Icebo laliwukumba umsele omkhulu; kwenziwe umgwaqo ngezansi; kuqiniswe ingezansi, izinhlangothi, nengaphezulu ngezinsimbi zokusekela; bese kwenziwa umgwaqo ngaphezu kwalokhu. Zaziyini izinzuzo zalokhu? Phakathi kokunye, kwakushibhile futhi kushesha kakhudlwana kunokuvula umhubhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abashintsha izitimela babengafinyelela esitimeleni ngokusebenzisa izitebhisi ezimfushane kunokugibela ikheshi.

Nokho, kwakukhona izinkinga. Ibhizinisi laphazanyiswa ngokungathi sína phakathi nesikhathi sokwakha. Amapayipi endle, amanzi, igas, umusi, nezintambo zikagesi nezocingo zazilokhu zidalela abakhi izinkinga. Ukumba okukhulu nakho kwakusongela ukuxegisa izisekelo zezinye izakhiwo ezinkulu. Ngezinye izikhathi, indawo ehlukahlukayo yaseManhattan yadinga ukuba abakhi bambe umhubhe phansi ekujuleni bedlula edwaleni eliqinile.

Nakuba kunjalo, eminyakeni emine emide, abantu baseNew York babekezelela umsindo, inkathazo, nokuphazamisa kokwakhiwa kwemigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi. Kodwa lapho izitimela ziqala ukusebenza ekwindla ka-1904, konke lokho kwathethelelwa. Ngempela, ojantshi abahamba ngaphansi babeyimpumelelo esheshayo! Phakathi nonyaka wawo wokuqala wokusebenza, isilinganiso sabantu abangaphezu kuka-300 000 ngosuku sasigibela izitimela ezihamba ngaphansi kwedolobha.

Umzila Wokuxhumana WaseNew York

Umuntu akanakuhlehla futhi agqolozele sonke isimiso sojantshi abahamba ngaphansi ngendlela umuntu angase abheke ngayo iSakhiwo iEmpire State noma iBhuloho laseBrooklyn. Noma kunjalo, isimiso sojantshi abahamba ngaphansi sizenza zibonakale zingelutho lezimangaliso ezigqamile. Phela, kwenye ingxenye engamakhilomitha angu-80, kunensimbi ephindwe kathathu kunaleyo eseSakhiweni iEmpire State! Sonke isimiso sinebanga lamakhilomitha angu-370 nojantshi ongamakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-1 300, okusenza sibe esinye esikhulu kakhulu emhlabeni.

Lesimiso futhi siye saba nomphumela onamandla ekuthuthukisweni kwedolobha ngokwalo. Amashumi ezinkulungwane eziningi zabantu abasebenza ezifundeni zezamabhizinisi ayafika evela kwezinye izingxenye zedolobha noma ezindaweni ezisemaphandleni. Izisebenzi zingakubalekela kalula ukuminyana okwaziwayo kwezimoto emigwaqweni yaseManhattan nezinkinga zokupaka ngokumane zihambe ngaphansi. Umgwaqo ohamba ngaphansi ngaleyondlela uwukuphila kwamabhizinisi amaningi aseNew York.

Eminyakeni eminingi umgwaqo ohamba ngaphansi wanikeza uhambo olulondekile, oluhlanzekile, nolongayo oluzungeza idolobha. Kodwa izikhathi ziye zashintsha, futhi ‘ukwanda kokungabi namthetho’ lokho iBhayibheli elaprofetha ukuthi kwakuzohlupha izwe namuhla kuthinta futhi nesimiso semigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi. (Mathewu 24:12) Ukubamba inkunzi kuhlonyiwe nokuhlwithwa kwezikhwama zemali kuye kwaba izinto ezivame kakhulu ukwenzeka emigwaweni ehamba ngaphansi.

Izindleko ezenyukayo zokusetshenziswa kwalomgwaqo ziye zenyusa imali yokugibela ngokuphindwe ngaphezu kuka-20 kusukela yaqala ukusebenza! Nakuba kunjalo, ayiselona ibhizinisi elizuzisa kakhulu eyake yaba yilo. Izimali ezinkulu zokuxhasa ezivela kuhulumeni zigcina izitimela zihamba. Futhi, izimoto ezihamba ngaphansi neziteshi ngezinye izikhathi ziyangcola futhi zinganakekelwa kahle. Izimpahla ezintsha zilinyazwa ngokushesha. Ukulungiswa kukajantshi okudingekile nokwezinye izimpahla ngokuvamile kuye kwanganakwa. Ukulibala nokumiswa kohlelo lokuhamba kwezitimela—okwake kwaba yimvela kancane—akukhona okungajwayelekile. Nokho, imigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi iyingxenye ebalulekile nedingekile yokuphila kwasedolobheni, futhi abantu baseNew York bathambekele ekukwamukeleni lokho ngokumane bangasigibeli futhi bangazisoli ngakho.

Ukugibela Okokuhamba Emgwaqweni Ohamba Ngaphansi

Ungathanda yini ukugibela okuhamba “emgodini ongaphansi”? Imizila emibili ehamba ngaphansi yaseNew York ihamba phakathi kwezakhiwo zendlunkulu yeWatchtower Society, lapho lomagazini unyatheliswa khona. Ngakho sizoya kwesinye sazo.

Lapho sesiya khona yiseMnyuziyamu WaseMelika Womlando Wemvelo eNgxenyeni engaseNtshonalanga yeManhattan. Njengoba siphuma endlunkulu yeWatchtower eBrooklyn, sidlula izakhiwo ezimbalwa siye esangaweni lesiteshi sesitimela u-A.a Sehlela endaweni yokushintsha imali, lapho sithenga khona insimbi esamali—imali ekhethekile esenza sikwazi ukungena esiteshini ngensimbi ephendukayo yasesangweni. Uma sehla ngezinye izitebhisi, sifika eplatifomu. Ojantshi bakuzo zombili izinhlangothi, futhi izimpawu zibonisa ukuthi yiluphi uhlangothi olunezitimela eziya eManhattan futhi yiluphi olunezitimela eziya kude eBrooklyn. Sizothatha isitimela esiya eManhattan.

Uyawuzwa lowomsindo ozwakala kancane? Lowomsindo nomoya ovunguza ngokushesha ukutshela ukuthi isitimela siyeza. Ngokushesha siphonseka esiteshini, sivunguzisa umoya nhlangothi zonke futhi sigcwalise isiteshi ngomsindo ovala izindlebe. Umshayeli unyathela amabhuleki, bese isitimela sima ngokushesha. Njengoba iminyango ivuleka, abantu bayadudulana bengena bephuma. Siyajabula ngokuthi sikwazile ukuthola indawo yokuhlala. Ukuba besiye ngesikhathi okuphithizela ngaso, ngokunokwenzeka bekuzodingeka sime, simpintshane njengezinhlanzi ezisethinini.

Iminyango iyavaleka, futhi isitimela siyaphuma esiteshini ngokugudlumezeka. Kunezwi elinswininiza phezulu ngombhobho lidlule umsindo okhona esitimeleni. ‘Utheni?’ uyabuza. Kulula. Uthe lesi isitimela u-A esiya ngenhla edolobheni esiqonde ku-207 Street. Isiteshi esilandelayo iBroadway-Nassau. Ngemva kwesikhathi uyajwayelana nenkulumo yomlindi.

Ukuhamba ngesitimela esihamba ngaphansi kukuvumela ukuba ubone iqembu labantu eliyingqayizivele ngempela: osomabhizinisi abafake amasudu anemithende; izisebenzi, izinxibi, abantu abangasenakuzondla, amaJuda ehlelo lobuHasid anezintshebe aya emsebenzini, abazali nabantwana. Yebo, emgwaqweni ohamba ngaphansi, ubona izinhlobonhlobo zabantu baseDolobheni laseNew York.

Kodwa kuwumbono omfushane, ngoba emizuzwini engemingaki sesiyafika lapho siya khona. Sehla ngokushesha, sikhuphuke ngezitebhisi, futhi siphume esiteshini. Yini oyicabangayo? Abanye bathola imigwaqo ehamba ngaphansi ithakazelisa. Abanye bayajabula ngokuphuma. Uyithanda noma uyizonda, bambalwa abangagibela izinto ezihamba ngaphansi futhi bangahlabeki umxhwele ngandlela-thile.

Mhlawumbe uyothola ithuba lokugibela khona ngolunye usuku. Nokho, uhambo lokuya eDolobheni laseNew York ngandlela-thile lusuke lungaphelele ngaphandle kokuba luhlanganise ukugibela “embotsheni engaphansi”—umgwaqo ohamba ngaphansi waseDolobheni laseNew York.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 10]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

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Map/Courtesy of NYCTA

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini]

Jim Kalett/Photo Researchers