I’m a big proponent of meeting on the train. When it works, it’s perfect: your train pulls into the station, the person you’re meeting steps on the car, and the two of you go about your way in the most efficient manner possible.

It takes some planning, though: you and the person you’re meeting have to know which car you’re in, where that car stops on the platform, and also (just in case) what to do if you don’t see the other person after a specified amount of time. It’s also helpful to know what enroute cell phone access will be. But when it works, you can’t help but grin and feel smarter than the average bear.

Sometimes, however, you’re slightly off and the person winds up in the next car over. That’s when you realize that most days, you’re just an average bear.

(Q Train, Manhattan)