by Jesse Hunter

City kids know the deal； the excitement and danger of stepping onto a subway platform for the first time. I remember my mom holding my hand tight， with good reason， as this massive， screeching silver dragon （tattooed with graffiti） came hurdling around the corner at breakneck speed. It was beyond AWESOME！

I spent the better part of my childhood on that 103rd Street subway platform， waiting for the No. 1 local train. But my fondest subway related memories have to be the first time I heard the Bing-Bong-Bing-Bong as the doors closed behind me， since I still find myself singing along with that simple yet addictive tune today， and my first time standing at the front of the train， seeing what the conductor sees， as a flurry of golden twinkling comets（old flickering halogen bulbs） zoom past my peripheral vision， causing me to jerk my head from left to right in what must have been a pretty adorable scene at the time.

This century-old underground machine bears many names； Subway， Metro， Underground and Tube to name a few. But its purpose goes beyond mere transportation. Its an all important part of many urbanites lives， who can hail from all walks of life. Misunderstanding on the Metro shows how a lot can happen， and not happen， just going from one stop to the next. Have you ever shared a glance with someone， above the sea of heads on a subway car， and wondered...what if？ Then I Fell in Love on the Subway is the story for you. 15 Minutes of Fame for Londons Underground examines the Tubes extensive acting career， and A 24 Hour New York City Subway Ride acts as mysterious metaphor for the journey of life.

I live in Guangzhou now， so I have to call it the Metro. But whatever its called， and wherever it goes， it will always be a part of me.

城里的孩子都熟悉这段经历：初次踏上地铁站台有多惊险，多刺激。我记得那时妈妈紧紧地握住我的手，要知道，那画满涂鸦的银色巨龙可是以玩命般的速度呼啸疾驰而至的。岂止厉害呀！

我大部分的童年时光都花在了103街的地铁站台上，等待1号车的到来。但我与地铁相关的那些最美好的回忆要数我第一次听到身后的车门关闭时发出的“呯嘭呯嘭”声——因为我发现自己到现在依然会随着那简单却引人着迷的声调一起和唱；还有，我第一次站到地铁首节车厢内，看到列车长所能看到的一切，当时，许多金光闪闪的“彗星”（旧时忽闪忽闪的卤素灯泡）一阵扫射，迅速扫过我的视线范围，使得我从左到右猛转过头，那时的这个情景一定非常有趣可爱。

这种上百年历史的地下机器有众多称谓：

“Subway”、“Metro”、“Underground”、“Tube”也只是其中的几个。但地铁的作用可不只是运输。它是来自各行各业的都市人生命中的重要部分。《地铁上的小插曲》展示了在两站之间会发生或者不会发生许多故事。你曾试过在人头簇拥的地铁车厢与某人四目相对吗？你有曾想过，要是……会怎样吗？那么《地下铁遇见爱》就是属于你的故事了。《伦敦地铁屏幕缘》细数了地铁丰富的演艺生涯，而《纽约地铁24小时之旅》则是对人生之旅的神秘隐喻。

我现在在广州生活，所以我得称之为“Metro”。但无论它称谓如何、现身何地，它总会是我的一部分。