Tonight looked to be a miserable rainy night according to the weather forecast, and since Chris wanted to stay in, he suggested we order a pizza and go home after work. I wasn’t really keen on the idea of ordering Domino’s, so I decided that I would order a Previti pizza (half Sardinia – artichoke, spinach, and creamy cheese truffle sauce, half chicken parm) for pickup and take it home. When I suggested it, I barely thought about the fact that a) I was going home during rush hour and b) because of that, the 6 train would be packed, so how would people react to my carrying an 18-inch pizza in a large box on the train?

Surprisingly, the experience was comical… and even inviting. Most of the time, people get contentious and pushy when others carry baby carriages and other large items on the train, but this time, not only did two people offer their seat on the train for me, but as soon as people saw me with my big pizza box, they literally started moving into the train and pushing other people to get further in (and if you are unfamiliar with the trains during rush hour here in New York City, you will know that people hate doing this and absolutely love to hover around the doors. They don’t care that there is space in the middle and that you need to get on the train, too). A few people joked that they would make room for me if I were willing to share a slice with them. Someone asked me where the pizza was from because it smelled so good. And a couple other people commended me for “being so brave” to carry a pizza box onto the train at this time. “I’m not sure if it’s bravery or cheapness for not wanting to pay for a cab,” I laughed. “Actually, maybe it’s a little of both!”

So New Yorkers aren’t that bad. Sure, they can be rude, but there are these moments when you realize that they are real people who have a sense of humor… and just love their pizza.