Jogging down the steps of Berlin’s Jannowitzbrücke U-Bahn (subway) station, I hear the whirring noise of a train pulling up and my steps accelerate, heart rate rises. I push through rowdy teenagers, skirt an elderly woman, and pile into a cramped car as blinking-red doors close behind me. Meeting the eyes of onlookers who most definitely saw my struggle, I grab the nearest pole and feel my body sway backwards as the train lurches forward.
Jannowitzbrücke U-Bahn station entrance.
This is public transportation in a big city. I must decode a map of interweaving lines, endure sweaty others crowding into my personal space, and hold on for dear life, trying not to let my mind wander… How many people have touched this handle?