--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some time ago I took a trip on the Hudson…" description: "\"Some time ago I took a trip on the Hudson and Manhattan Transit System. Not being familiar with the names of the various stops, I asked the man next to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/james-keller-18902_familiar_some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudso_741069.jpg" --- # Some time ago I took a trip on the Hudson and Manhattan… ![“Some time ago I took a trip on the Hudson and Manhattan Transit System. Not being familiar with the names of the various stops, I asked the man next to me the name of the station where we had just stopped. He replied, "I've been riding this line for fifteen years and I only know two stops: where I…” quote by James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/james-keller-18902_familiar_some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudso_741069.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/james-keller-18902_familiar_some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudso_741069.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/james-keller-18902_familiar_some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudso_741069.jpg) > “Some time ago I took a trip on the Hudson and Manhattan Transit System. Not being familiar with the names of the various stops, I asked the man next to me the name of the station where we had just stopped. He replied, "I've been riding this line for fifteen years and I only know two stops: where I get on and where I get off."” [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A commuter knows only his boarding and alighting points, ignoring the system’s complexity. **In simple terms:** He only cares about where he starts and ends. Key Takeaway Focus on essential goals, not unnecessary details. Themes simplicity focus efficiency Mood practical observational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - Daily commuting - project planning - goal setting Key Concepts Minimalism cognitive load Questions to Reflect On - What essential points do you need to know? - How can you simplify without losing critical insight? A Different Perspective Over‑simplification can miss valuable information. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fifteen years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifteen-years/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manhattan/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Riding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riding/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“You cannot do anything with knowledge unless you know where it stops, and the costs of using it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-cannot-do-anything-with-knowledge-unless-you-know-where-it-stops/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“The human digestive tract is like the Amtrak line from Seattle to Los Angeles: transit time is about thirty hours, and the scenery on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/the-human-digestive-tract-is-like-the-amtrak-line-from-seattle-to-los/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Painting is my vehicle of transit. I don't always know where I am going or what it means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonora-carrington/painting-is-my-vehicle-of-transit-i-don-t-always-know-where-i-am/) [Leonora Carrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonora-carrington/) > [Just looking at society as a whole, there are a lot of different things that we are not doing as a group to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-shields/just-looking-at-society-as-a-whole-there-are-a-lot-of-different/) [Will Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-shields/) > [In the same way we have a long-term plan for building roads, we have to have a long term plan to build transit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-wynne/in-the-same-way-we-have-a-long-term-plan-for-building-roads-we-have/) [Kathleen Wynne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-wynne/) > [“Transit umbra, lux permanet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mclean/transit-umbra-lux-permanet/) [Jay McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mclean/) > [Any friend of fossil is a friend of mine... We’ve got to do everything we can to get people out of their automobiles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/any-friend-of-fossil-is-a-friend-of-mine-we-ve-got-to-do-everything/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [Point-to-point transit via low orbit could dramatically speed up international flights, connecting the world even further. And safe, consistent space travel opens up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-parr/point-to-point-transit-via-low-orbit-could-dramatically-speed-up/) [Ben Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-parr/) > [We're investing billions of dollars in housing, in home care on the medical side. We're investing billions of dollars in public transit that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/we-re-investing-billions-of-dollars-in-housing-in-home-care-on-the/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [Pennsylvanians deserve clean, safe, on-time public transit - and our growing economy demands it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/pennsylvanians-deserve-clean-safe-on-time-public-transit-and-our/) [Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/) > [In the United States in 2009, more than 10.2 billion trips were taken on transit trains and buses. So far, the nation has not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mica/in-the-united-states-in-2009-more-than-10-2-billion-trips-were-taken/) [John Mica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mica/) > [ You meet a lot of people \[in Dubai\] coming from a lot of different places. Even me, I'm always in transit. I don't stay… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-seed/you-meet-a-lot-of-people-in-dubai-coming-from-a-lot-of-different/) [eL Seed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-seed/) > [Wheelchairs get lost or damaged during transit because some staff don't always understand how important the equipment is, or the cost of it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanni-grey-thompson/wheelchairs-get-lost-or-damaged-during-transit-because-some-staff-don/) [Tanni Grey-Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanni-grey-thompson/) > [I will use every form of transit, and I want to make sure that they are all affordable in New York City, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zohran-mamdani/i-will-use-every-form-of-transit-and-i-want-to-make-sure-that-they/) [Zohran Mamdani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zohran-mamdani/) > [To me, in general, something that's really rich in terms of identity about transit spaces is that they're so intimate. Especially thinking about long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/to-me-in-general-something-that-s-really-rich-in-terms-of-identity/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) ## More by James Keller > [I think we'll have a good potato crop this year," a newspaper editor told his housekeeper one morning. "No such thing," asserted the housekeeper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/i-think-we-ll-have-a-good-potato-crop-this-year-a-newspaper-editor/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [The Metropolitan Museum of Art some time ago held a display of contemporary art at which $52,000 was awarded to American sculptors, painters, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-some-time-ago-held-a-display-of/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [A young lady had only one complaint about her good husband: "My husband always praises me to other people," she said, "Often I hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-young-lady-had-only-one-complaint-about-her-good-husband-my-husband/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [A psychologist once asked a group of college students to jot down, in thirty seconds, the initials of the people they disliked. Some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-psychologist-once-asked-a-group-of-college-students-to-jot-down-in/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [As she read the ten commandments for the first time, a Chinese woman said, "I don't see how anyone can very well get on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/as-she-read-the-ten-commandments-for-the-first-time-a-chinese-woman/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [Hope cherishes no illusions, nor does it yield to cynicism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/hope-cherishes-no-illusions-nor-does-it-yield-to-cynicism/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [A young lady went into a bookstore and asked the clerk for Irving Stone's book, "Immoral Wife." The title is "Immortal Wife," the clerk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-young-lady-went-into-a-bookstore-and-asked-the-clerk-for-irving/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [An old Arabian fable tells of a prince imprisoned in a castle which had thirteen windows. Twelve of these windows overlooked lovely scenes, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/an-old-arabian-fable-tells-of-a-prince-imprisoned-in-a-castle-which/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [What this country needs is more people to inspire others with confidence, and fewer people to discourage any initiative in the right direction more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/what-this-country-needs-is-more-people-to-inspire-others-with/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/hope-regards-problems-small-or-large-as-opportunities/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [A high-school girl, seated next to a famous astronomer at a dinner party, struck up a conversation with him by asking: "What do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-high-school-girl-seated-next-to-a-famous-astronomer-at-a-dinner/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, my left is wavering. The situation is excellent. I shall attack!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/my-center-is-giving-way-my-right-is-pushed-back-my-left-is-wavering/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [During a heavy storm at sea a nervous woman passenger on a large liner went to the captain, seeking reassurance. "Captain," she asked tremulously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/during-a-heavy-storm-at-sea-a-nervous-woman-passenger-on-a-large/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [Three hundred years ago a prisoner condemned to the Tower of London carved on the wall of his cell this sentiment to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/three-hundred-years-ago-a-prisoner-condemned-to-the-tower-of-london/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) > [A man on a hiking trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains came to the top of a hill and saw, just below the crest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/a-man-on-a-hiking-trip-through-the-blue-ridge-mountains-came-to-the/) [James Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) [Explore all 33 James Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/) ## More Familiar quotes > [ There was another reason \[she\] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-books-whenever-they-went-away/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Photography's potential as a great image-maker and communicator is really no different from the same potential in the best poetry where familiar, everyday words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-caponigro/photography-s-potential-as-a-great-image-maker-and-communicator-is/) [Paul Caponigro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-caponigro/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [This kind of horror has become all too familiar to us. As parents, Cindy and I offer our prayers to the memory of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/this-kind-of-horror-has-become-all-too-familiar-to-us-as-parents/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Any creative process is about being in a territory which isn't secure, isn't necessarily familiar, and isn't convenient in any sort of way. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/any-creative-process-is-about-being-in-a-territory-which-isn-t-secure/) [Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/) > [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [I don't look to play people that are familiar. I look to play people that are different, challenge, unknown, foreign, and therefore scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/i-don-t-look-to-play-people-that-are-familiar-i-look-to-play-people/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [My pet peeve is hearing a knock on the bathroom door followed by the familiar words, 'What are you doing in there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-scalf-linamen/my-pet-peeve-is-hearing-a-knock-on-the-bathroom-door-followed-by-the/) [Karen Scalf Linamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-scalf-linamen/) > [The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grump-looking old man with a great deal of a long gray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-barman-sidled-toward-them-out-of-a-back-room-he-was-a-grump/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Television is a thing that people get very familiar with. They want to hear your voice in their head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-wayans-jr/television-is-a-thing-that-people-get-very-familiar-with-they-want-to/) [Damon Wayans, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-wayans-jr/) > [It's truly gratifying to see my films reach beyond a familiar public, to get a chance to move new audiences. It's nuts. It's extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-audiard/it-s-truly-gratifying-to-see-my-films-reach-beyond-a-familiar-public/) [Jacques Audiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-audiard/) > [When I was in high school, I was a bad singer. I mean, all my early acting was musical theater, and my first ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-claflin/when-i-was-in-high-school-i-was-a-bad-singer-i-mean-all-my-early/) [Sam Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-claflin/) > [Fella’s a genius. Best ever by a distance in my life time. Never really saw Pele… Souness, Gullit, Venables and now Rooney agree Messi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-lineker/fella-s-a-genius-best-ever-by-a-distance-in-my-life-time-never-really/) [Gary Lineker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-lineker/) > [Sometimes all it takes is a tiny shift of perspective to see something familiar in a totally new light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/sometimes-all-it-takes-is-a-tiny-shift-of-perspective-to-see/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) Browse all 1,916 Familiar quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some time ago I took a trip on the Hudson and Manhattan Transit System. Not being familiar with the names of the various stops, I asked the man next to me the name of the station where we had just stopped. He replied, \"I've been riding this line for fifteen years and I only know two stops: where I get on and where I get off.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Keller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudson-and-manhattan-transit/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Familiar" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudson-and-manhattan-transit/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/james-keller-18902_familiar_some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudso_741069.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/james-keller-18902_familiar_some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudso_741069.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/james-keller-18902_familiar_some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudso_741069.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some time ago I took a trip on the Hudson and Manhattan Transit System. Not being familiar with the names of…” — James Keller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Keller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-keller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Some time ago I took a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudson-and-manhattan-transit/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-keller/some-time-ago-i-took-a-trip-on-the-hudson-and-manhattan-transit/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```