Subway subterfuge.

I took the subway yesterday for the first time since all hell broke loose and commuting when off the rails.

I had to go downtown and I spent a restless night contemplating the potential danger.

2022 has been harrowing on NYC subways.

At one point in early February, crime on the subway was up over 200 percent compared to last year.

Armed with this knowledge I checked the Lyft fares and they were exorbitant.

I secured my big girl panties and imbued with a dose of NY confidence I walked to my local station and descended.

I swiped my Metro card and entered hell, hugging the tiled wall without touching it as far from the tracks as humanly possible.

The train arrived and I quickly checked out three cars selecting the middle one which was relatively empty.

I did not look at my phone and constantly checked out the travelers and then girded my loins at every stop for potential danger.

I found people with backpacks troubling.

A man entered my consciousness. I was ready to bolt when he started pacing and mumbling, but he leaned out the door at the 14th Street stop and a man bumped him off and the doors quickly shut.

I exited at Canal Street and quickly ran up the three flights of stairs.

On the way home I walked over a mile to another station with the goal of shortening my subway ride.

I confronted the unknown, once again. I stepped into what appeared to be an empty car, but what I assumed was a homeless person was spread out across an entire row of seats.

The individual was covered in a blanket so gender was camouflaged.

Kids got on, pregnant women, the elderly with nowhere to sit, but not one person approached the inert body and most of us stood in uncomfortable silence anticipating trouble.

People appeared fearful of what he/she might do if awakened or if, in fact, the potential sleeping predator was armed.

You could practically visualize a bubble over collective heads saying, “Do not touch!”

Finally, my stop emerged and I dodged and did not look back.

Such a crying shame to experience this uncomfortable feeling of trepidation at taking a subway.

Everyone was on edge and there appears to be no end in sight.

Mayor Adams, do something, damn it.

New Yorkers deserve better.