They say New York is a cold, unforgiving place where you’re not very likely to find very much in the way of affection. But just take a ride on the subway heading to Midtown between the hours of 8 and 10 a.m. and you’ll get all the affection you need to last several lifetimes. From “unintentional” gropers to Asian people who are particularly comfortable with not respecting the normal Western parameters of personal space, closeness is exactly what the MTA provides its commuters Monday through Friday.
One could easily view this daily “togetherness” with strangers as yet another reason to shoot yourself on the way to work, but if you want to survive, it’s best to look at it as a daily source of tenderness in a city otherwise filled with nothing but physical and emotional antipathy. Either that, or you can wait until 11, when the trains are safely empty, to begin your workday.