(Link>) A mechitzah might have been handy :(

Sheesh, doesn't rush hour ever end in Manhattan? I was sitting on the subway last night at about 11 PM, after a couple of hours of Israeli folk dancing, and had just starting davvening Maariv/Arvit (praying the Evening Service), when I was joined by a gentleman on my right and a lady on my left. Unfortunately, this was one of the subway cars with "bucket seats," which, sadly, are not only not designed to accommodate the, um, varying widths of riders, but, even worse, don't take into account the existence of arms and shoulders, either. To make a long story short, I was literally rubbing shoulders and upper arms with my neighbors the entire time that I was davvening. Fortunately for me, I was still wearing my jacket from the office (which I shed while dancing). I have, occasionally, had the dubious privilege of rubbing arms with a fellow or sister rider in the subway while wearing short sleeves, and it's not my idea of a pleasant encounter. There are some advantages to the practice, among some Orthodox women, of wearing sleaves that cover at least the elbow all year long.