Adding to the list of subway signs that should trigger an alarm: when a dozen people pour out of one door as you attempt to board at a non-attraction station.
We have all learned by experience to avoid empty subway cars, half-empty cars, and dark ones. But when I boarded this afternoon finding myself among a number of brave passengers who refused to evacuate, they were all covering their noses with scarves, sweaters, and jackets. My NYC survival instincts were slow as I was distracted trying to locate a seat, but at least I realized in time that I’d be better off not sitting down. At first the subway car was filled with an aroma of some sort of feast featuring lots of onions; then the aroma turned into something more like a post-feast person having either thrown up all over the floor or taken a dump in his pants. Since nothing was immediately visible on the floor, I assumed the latter.
I joined the other passengers to make a funny face while controlling my breathing to a minimum, thanking myself for planning to get off at the very next stop and MTA for not having another “we’re being delayed because of train traffic ahead of us” moment.