Bathroom – Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc.

Yankee Stadium and Tradition

What Happens as You Get Older and Things Cause You to Update?

I follow a lot of traditions. Most are the ones I created myself. I created the first ones at the original Yankee Stadium, when I was 7. I have kept them wholeheartedly. I am very strict. But what happens when things in your life change? Do you keep the tradition, or do you update it to fit your needs?

So here it is. When I exit the 4 subway station, I go down the same flight of stairs and use only one of two turnstiles to exit. I alternate turnstiles at each game. Yes, I remember from the previous one. These days I walk through the park where the original stadium was situated.

Once I am in the Stadium there is much work to do. Before the first inning ends, I must eat a hot dog with mustard, a potato product, and finish a Pepsi. As for the potato product, a knish ranks at the top. But chips or fries will do. Not every stand sells knishes. That’s a shame. The kosher ones do. They are delicious. In the fifth inning, you need to eat peanuts. I never finish the bag. I have a bunch at the top and bottom of the fifth. I bring the bag home and finish. Often, I hand it to one of the people experiencing homelessness outside the stadium.

Current Stadium and Park Where the Old One Lived

Any flavor of ice cream is required in the sixth inning. It can be in a Yankee helmet cup, cone, regular cup, or an ice cream sandwich. Not enough vendors sell ice cream. The lines at the ones that do are too long. I usually go in the middle of the fifth to make sure I have it by the sixth. As for the brand, I am hoping for Good Humor, Mrs. Fields, or Häagen-Dazs. I will not get Ben & Jerry’s. That ice cream is disgusting. You are better off skipping it, and speaking of skipping it. Sometimes you must. It is not unusual for the machines to break down or they run out. That’s not my fault.

Once the 7^th inning starts, I can eat or drink whatever I want. They no longer sell beer after the 7^th inning. Once, I had one in the 7^th. I went with my cousins, and they bought me one for that inning. Anyway, the beer in Stan’s across the street from the real House that Ruth built is cheaper, and they have a better selection. Plus, Stan’s is like Cheers.

Over the last decade, probably longer, I have had less and less soda. It is not good for you because of the sugar, and it can irritate your bladder. As someone who has had four kidney stones, I am careful. Soda is at the top of the list of no-nos. Spinach is up there. But I have never seen it at the Stadium. I do miss both.

So, what to do? I buy the Pepsi and take a sip or two, and somehow it falls and spills on me. Or spills into the sink in the bathroom. I am too clean to let it spill on the floor in the stands. Sadly, too many people do. Water is the best thing to drink for bladder health. Heck, we all know it is the healthiest thing to drink. I have added water to my beverage mix. I sometimes drink it before the 7^th inning. I do not want to dehydrate. I do wish to overhydrate. I have had that problem.

So, as long as I follow as closely as possible, with minor medical adjustments, I believe I am staying within my traditions. By the way, when the game is over, I exit via a certain stairway and try to enter the 4 subway station through a specific entrance. However, I am not beholden to that.

Likes? Kindness? Courtesy?

Can We Be Polite When We Comment on Social Media?

By Mitchell Slepian

Positively and negatively, social media has impacted our lives. Even if you’re not active and don’t have any accounts, it has made changes for you. I have not posted on my Facebook wall in nearly six years. I do run several sites for the organizations I belong to. We get thousands of hits, comments, etc. It has helped us grow. We’ve gotten financial and other donations. Our social media efforts have helped drive our narrative.

I do post on a few fun sites. The top two are Coney Island and Staten Island Ferry Friends. Who doesn’t love Coney Island? It has it all – The Cyclone, Nathan’s, the NY Aquarium, the Polar Bears, the Wonder Wheel and more. Much more. I am originally from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. I spend a lot of time at Coney Island. Funny thing, I spend more time there now than when I lived in Brooklyn. Sadly, I only lived there for a few years.

The holy medicinal waters at Coney Island

As someone who grew up on Staten Island, I have taken my share of rides on that big orange boat. That boat has taken Staten Islanders to and from Manhattan since 1817. It has an annual ridership of 22 million.

I focus heavily on my photography at these locations. My posts get hundreds of likes and comments. One shot of the ferry has over 10,000 views. I do not live for “likes” on Facebook. I once had a dear friend who got upset when his posts didn’t get too many likes. Years ago (Feb. 3, 2017), I wrote a blog post titled “Do We Live for Likes?” It got a few views and likes.

Deck on the Dorothy Day: Over 10,000 views and 600 likes

It is nice to see my images generate comments and memories. People bring up fun times they had riding the Cyclone, munching on that great hot dog at Nathan’s, or when they heard the man yell, “Shine, shine” on the ferry. Don’t forget the ferry preachers. It is fun.

But what I do not understand is why people must be nasty about the posts. For the record, the people on the Coney Island pages are so positive. There are those afraid of the Cyclone and mention the moments they freaked out on the drop and its twists and turns. I rode it on Mother’s Day. Mom watched while she held my Yankee hat. Once my old Yankee hat blew off on the Cyclone. I am still hoping to find it under the tracks. Who knows what probably tried to eat it? I love it when people comment about how they ran into the ocean in February during a snowstorm. More power to you.

For the most part, people on the ferry page are just as nice. But people need to be polite. I recently posted a shot of the Sandy Ground boat docking at St. George. In the shot, the deckhand is at the gate. One person commented, “He looks lost.” Another wrote, “gay.”

Deckhand Getting Ready for the Sandy Ground to Dock

I can understand why people attack how filthy the boat bathrooms are. They need to be cleaned. Or when they are shocked by how clean the decks look in the images I shot. Bear in mind, I usually take photos on weekend morning runs. The ferries would be dirtier if I shot them during rush hour. But why can’t people just either be nice or refrain from commenting? There’s no need to say mean things about the deckhands. I can understand a comment about a needless pitching change that cost the Yankees a game. This is just a guy doing his job. Let’s love the drop on the Cyclone, ride our ferry, have fun, and support it all.

Remember to Flush

And Wash Your Hands

By Mitchell Slepian

Auto-flush toilets came out in the mid-80s. They became common in many restrooms in the 1990s. Here we are in 2026. Are they everywhere? No.

Before these types of toilets became available in entertainment, offices, restaurants, and sports venues, you had to flush. The flush toilet was invented in 1596 by Sir John Harrington, godson of Queen Elizabeth I. In camp during the 80s, we had latrines. Some were two-seater pit latrines, while others were five-seater tip pan latrines. A pit latrine was cleaned out using a pipe that sucks waste into a tanker. A tip pan latrine is cleaned when the pan tips, and the waste product is directed into a pit.

These days, many people are so used to automatic flush toilets that they take care of their business and walk away. Behold, not every toilet is an automatic flush. Certainly not in city venues, such as Central and Union Square Parks, the Staten Island Ferry, and its terminals. Many religious organizations haven’t upgraded. Nothing is more disgusting than when you walk into a train station’s bathroom and see the toilet overloaded with waste products. People are getting so used to auto flush that they forget to flush. Sadly, many forget to wash their hands after using the bathroom. In most cases, the sinks have automatic faucets. and soap dispensers. This helps with cleanliness, as you don’t have to touch the faucets.

At times, the automatic faucets, flushing mechanisms, and soap dispensers fail to work. You might have trouble getting soap and water. But usually, you can find a flush button on the toilet. You can always carry Purell packets. So, let’s keep things clean: flush and wash your hands.