Thursday, 27 November 2003 | Performer

There is a white guy, about fifty, who rides the G train and sits next to girls about my age. He asks, "Do you have the time?" After the girl responds, he masturbates for the next several stops, pausing when other people get on the train, and resuming when they're settled and their dead gaze is fixed straight ahead. He'll change seats, moving across the aisle from her in case she didn't notice; then he'll prop a leg on the seats beside him, slouch his shoulders, take it out, and resume.

I didn't look directly at him (and therefore wasn't positive) until I stood up to get off at my stop. (I kept thinking, that can't be what he's doing. I mean, who masturbates on the subway?)

Ah, Thanksgiving in New York.