I find that the inconveniences of living in New York allow me to rationalize all kinds of things. I’ll start by admitting that I pretty much always find a route to my desired destination. But it’s nice to have this one handy at all times. Somehow the fact that the subway smelled extra double bad today meant that I got to eat cookies and milk for dinner. You really had to smell it. When I got downstairs my eyes began to water. Add to this the fact that the A train was super late, apparently because they feared someone was trying to blow it up. And then I was treated to a rant by the woman next to me about how there is lead in all our water and any babies I have will most certainly be brain damaged unless I give them only distilled water.
On the happy side, I have a new subway game. It’s called: Best of the Bench/Mess of the Bench. I pick out one bench and then give a silent award to the person looking most stylish and then another to the person looking most hilariously disheveled or mismatched. The Mess of the Bench winner this morning was so good that she could likely make it to the finals.
jaysaint 
Posted by larrycub on July 21, 2005 at 1:34 am
The Toronto subway is no different. When I use to ride it everyday, I would play “Please don’t let them touch me” on the train. There are some really strange people on there. And on a hot summer day, the smell is so bad! Even if you walk up Yonge street, and cross over one of the grates, the smell almost knocks you over.
When we moved to Cambridge, I started to take the commuter trains in. Wow, what a difference! Its like being in first class. Every so often I still take the subway, and I’m stunned by it.
However, no matter how bad it smells, or the freaks that are on there, it is the fastest way to get around the city, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.