Message in a Can

Unlike subways in other parts of the world, New York's subway has awful sound systems. Most announcements are garbled and unintelligible.

On the way home from the Metropolitan Museum of Art today the E train was held at the 50th Street station. The announcement that came through the sound system speaker was a jumble of static save a single word: patience.

For once, I appreciated the notoriously crappy public address system. This message said it all and did so simply.

The Uncanny Voice of Conscience

Tonight I got on the E train at 42nd and immediately sat down to read through my Playbill.

At the next stop I heard a voice chastise someone for putting their feet on the train seat. There are many times on the subway when I see people do things they shouldn't, such as litter or spill food on the floor. I want to say something but don't because I don't want to risk engaging some unstable person in a conversation or shouting match.

I looked up to inspect the good Samaritan.

He was a homeless man sitting in a corner of the car behind a supermarket cart stacked 5 feet high with aluminum cans. Not only does he enforce the subway rules, he is keeping the city streets clean and recycling.

At 23rd street the offending passenger must have exited the train. The homeless man was waving his hand and saying loudly "Good riddance. You're not wanted here."

As I stepped out, I wondered how many people on the train were silently sharing his sentiment. So often I have wanted to say similar words when rude riders exited a car.

This fellow and I haven't talked and we lead very different lives, yet in the span of this brief ride I learned that we have common values and that I admire things about this stranger.