Smell

Standing room only. Notice a pronounced off-smell. Appears to be from the man sitting in front of me, who starts laughing out loud as he reads a hand-out newspaper. More laughter, seemingly at his own thoughts more than anything in the paper. Man gets off at my stop. I wonder where he is headed, if anywhere at all.

Shoved

Get on the express. Two people – a man and a woman – blocking half the doorway. The woman shoves me, claiming I stepped on her food (I probably did). “Don’t push,” I growl. “We say excuse me.” Man chimes in, defending her, telling me to move on. Tense moment. Voice in crowd seems to come to my defense, yelling. “Stop blocking the door.” Tell the gang at work I almost got into a subway fight.