If you were to start screaming would it be
a problem? If you collapsed with fatigue,
or simply slid down the side of a building
to relieve the pressure on your blistered
feet, and sat on the street with your legs
pointing in front of you like two straight
lines, would the throng merely step over your
body, keep moving toward its destination?
Your movements do not fit into this environment. It
is quite possible you could injure someone by suddenly
moving an arm or hand and accidentally poking or elbowing
someone in the eye-or by changing the position of your
shoulder bag, inadvertently whacking someone in the
testicles-or you could topple down an escalator, the
force of your fall causing several people to plunge
along with you.
The gestures of those who live here are cramped, pared
down. Over time they must have pulled themselves in,
become constricted in order to move without altercation.