Politics
‘I Told Myself Not to Judge a Book by Its Cover and Sat Down Next to Him’
Pleasantly surprised on the subway, an invisible helper appears and more reader tales of New York City in this week’s Metropolitan Diary.
Lip Balmed
Dear Diary:
It was rush hour, and I had just boarded a packed E train at Penn Station.
I noticed an empty seat next to an extremely large and intimidating-looking man. He was wearing a weathered motorcycle-type jacket, and his hair was rather wild, matching the expression on his face.
I told myself not to judge a book by its cover and sat down next to him. I did my best not to brush up against him and kept my eyes straight ahead.
After a few moments, I felt my mouth getting dry. I pulled out my ChapStick and applied it to my lips.
A moment later, the giant of a man next to me reached into his pocket and pulled out his own ChapStick.
“I prefer cherry myself,” he said.
— Mitchell Chwatt
