The Subway Is a Lawless Wasteland and These 35 Photos Are the Proof

I have nothing against anyone on the subway and I like all people the same… well, most people… okay, some people… I like the driver.

That being said, stepping onto a subway train is like pressing shuffle on the entire human experience. One moment, you're sitting next to a guy in a full banana costume eating mayonnaise with a spoon, and the next you're dodging onion fumes because the woman across from you is literally chopping them like she's on Top Chef: Underground Commute Edition.

The subway is the great equalizer and the great chaos engine. No matter your job, your background, or your tax bracket, if you're on public transit, you're one stray cough away from locking eyes with a grandma cradling what appears to be an actual AK-47. And she will not blink first.

This collection of 35 photos is a love letter to the weird, wonderful, and deeply unexplainable characters that only exist between stops. It's part documentary, part performance art, part cry for help. But it's all real. These aren't Halloween costumes or rejected reality show concepts - these are actual people who woke up, looked in the mirror, and said, "Yes. This is how I'll ride the Q train today."

So grab your MetroCard, hold your breath, and enjoy this gallery of unfiltered humanity. Just… maybe don't make eye contact.