As most people know, part of the reason the New York City workweek is so much longer than the rest of the nation’s is in large part due to the long train commutes one must take in order to get to Midtown, where the bulk of legitimate office buildings are located (startups are for the Soho and DUMBO set).
With all this available free time on the train, a person with any intelligence might be inclined to ask why you see so many people simply staring blankly into space with their headphones on or playing a cellphone game when, what they should be doing, in fact, is reading. Though some may argue that it’s impossible to read when you’re unable to get a seat/jammed into a boxcar, I think you’ll find if you shove yourself in the right corner of the train, it’s perfectly comfortable.
Alas, many office workers have sold their souls to money, and see no real reason to bother with educational mental stimulation any longer. And if they do, it’s the latest mind-numbing fare to reach the top of the bestsellers list. Why further your mind, after all, when it’s already being used for financial gain purposes?