The other day, I got to ride in the first car of the subway, standing up against the front window. From this vantage, it was possible to see the dim guts of Manhattan as they whizzed past. I have never had this view in before.

My first thought was that I would like to get a job as an interior designer to freshen things up a bit down there (grimy steel and rats are so nineteenth century).

The second thing that struck me was the sight of the platforms lined with people waiting for the train to pull up. From the side windows, where I usually sit, people look normal, or as normal as is possible for New York. But from the front, I could see hundreds of commuters at once, all with their necks craned toward the train, toward me, a mixture of anticipation and relief on their faces.

It felt nice.