On my way to work, I limp to the 68th Street subway station, the result of a basketball injury to my leg the night before. There I board the number 6 local Lexington Avenue downtown train. Being the morning rush hour, the subway car is jammed with people. At the 51st Street station I feel unwell. As the subway nears Grand Central, I faint.
Never before have I had an impact on the lives of so many people, for by the simple act of fainting, I bring the downtown East Side subway system to a standstill. On account of me, tens of thousands of New Yorkers arrive late for work, some making use of my frailty to justify their chronic lateness.
