The Almost-Fight

This afternoon there is nearly a fight on the 4. It is extremely crowded and right as the doors are about to close a young man, tough looking but dressed in office wear, squeezes on. There is another man standing in front of the door, around the same age but very scary and gangster-ghetto looking. Apparently he is not happy about being crowded. He starts to hassle the man and the other starts to hassle him back. They began shouting about one pushing the other. They keep telling each other to calm down and keep referring to the other as “dawg”.

F*cking say excuse me dawg!
Just cool it dawg!
I AM cool- YOU need to f*cking relax dawg!

I never realized people even still use that slang word. I, like the fellow commuters squeezed in around me watch this unfold not only in fear but also in amusement and anticipation. I don’t know what would happen if they actually start to punch each other. Since there is no place to move we would all be in the line of attack. Yet at the same time everyone likes some rush-hour entertainment now and then. I look at the faces of the people next to me. Everyone is nervous, watching the conflict escalate. Then right at the point where it looks like there is no return we are finally at the Union Square stop and one of the men gets off. It is over as quickly as the whole thing began.

I am actually surprised this is the first “fight” I have witnessed. With everyone always crowded so closely and so many different egos I am surprised people aren’t killing each other every day during rush hour.