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Residents of New York are said to be above average intelligent. Must be true. Everyone who messes up the average must have failed at the subway system and fallen out of the statistics. They failed at questions like whether the train goes uptown or downtown, whether it's an express or one that stops at every street. They've been traveling for months in areas they can't recognize for the life of them or have started new families in remote areas.

The New York subway system is the most run-down and craziest I know. Inside the cars it's fine. It's clean and not littered. There are relatively few stinkers and beggars. Outside it gets dark. The cars, silver as they are, look sharp. Upon closer inspection, you can see 1000 patches that have been repainted with bronze paint. Tape management. The noise while driving is unbelievable. But the air conditioning will blow your shoes off and you should always, I mean always, have a sweater and beanie with you even at 91 degrees Fahrenheit.

It gets really dark in the stations. Dark holes with platforms as wide as towels, full of columns with scheduled changes and sometimes even the station name. The entrances and exits of the elevated train look picturesque, which is just another word for dangerous and shaky. Many are closed due to dilapidation and there are only elevators at every fourth station.

What's positive about it? Of course, the nice and helpful citizens of New York, who apparently have learned the lines and the stations since kindergarten and know all the construction sites. They have to, because the subway is the only sensible means of transport in the city, apart from walking, of course. Taxis are a waste of money, because you'll be stuck in traffic just like with the bus.

There is a very nice transportation museum in Brooklyn, where all the wagons since 1900 are exhibited. It's great fun to try out the different versions of comfort. A beautiful picture shows one of the first women's workplaces from 1903. The smartly dressed young woman in black and white opens the barrier with a foot pedal as soon as the passenger has paid the fare. 10 years later, she was replaced by electric turnstiles. She probably wasn't too upset, as her right calf was now 10 inches thicker than her left.