What are the rules on NYC subway?

I would call it “wagon” .

Never saw anyone urinate in them though.

but saw a woman claim her seat by throwing a bag on it from two meters away. thoughts that was odd.

or a guy eating very smelly thai meal, out of a container. who does that?! during the day and normal working hours too. but thats just bad behaviour. the bag used as a token to own a seat was odd.

yeah I like those too. I honestly dont get how someone thinks its ok to talk loudly on their phone while in public transportation especially outside of a minute or teo emegency calls etc. did their parents make a mistake bringing them up to be considerate or something?

I see it just like you do, I may be seen as “overly friendly” since I look at people, and will smile when we make eye contact, but especially on the subway I understand now its undesirable. But you are right, ocassionally someone does respond in the same way and you share a smile and a split second spiritual exchange and its wonderful.

On my block there is this little kid that always plays outside and most of the time alone. He is probably 5-6. On my street I have noticed it is customary to greet people as you walk by, thats how you know they are local. So I do. I apply it to children too, and wave at them or say hello as I walk by. So far everybody responds the same way, smiles and/or says hello back. Except for this little boy. He never says it back and frowns instead. Seems scared of me or appears hostile toward me for reasons I dont understand. Like he will play with his ball or toy car and will stop everything and stare at me as if I was major danger or somehow hurt him/his family, and waits for me to pass by before he resumes play. I continue to greet him when I walk by, just like everybody does, and openly smile to show I am no threat, but maybe I should stop and just ignore him or walk the other way or something else in order not to distress him. but since I see him pehaps 3-4 times a week it may be even weirder.

His father greets me and smiles back when he is there his mother not so much but still, but the boy just treats me like the enemy. Which in a way is good for him, I mean he should not be friendly with strangers etc, its just so unusual on a block where we all know and greet each other and where I have been living for 2 years and I am unsure what would be the best course of action on my part.

So with subway I recognize eye contact is “against the social norm” and I follow the rules for the most part. And when I dont its mostly because I really like something on someone - but I understand people might think its otherwise.