there's a crack in the pavement

 
I take the train to work. It's twice as long as driving, but it's free to those that work at my company and so I save on gas. I finally get the chance to read books I'm always buying but don't have the time to read.
Most of the time the train is so packed that it's not even standing room only. Sometimes I'm lucky to find a seat, and eventually the person I'm seated next to gets off at their stop, leaving the seat next to me free for people to sit down. To be nice and courteous to whoever might want to sit down, I keep my gym bag on my lap, but no one ever does.

The purpose of this entry is to tell you that I found a way to have the seat next to me free my entire trip, on my way to work and on the way home, five days a week.

By being black.  I have a friend at work that has experienced the same phenomena. He's black too.

This morning, a man was on crutches, standing  next to the empty seat on the train. He got on the train 2 stops after me.  I told him the seat  next to me was free.  He said:
"That's alright. I have a few stops."
I said, "Ok."

He stood until the train reached his stop--
The stop before mine.