--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only pleasurable part of taking the…" description: "\"The only pleasurable part of taking the subway, as everyone will agree, is concocting elaborate fantasies about what it would be like to be married to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/russell-smith-9877_about_the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the_3138836.jpg" --- # The only pleasurable part of taking the subway, as… ![“The only pleasurable part of taking the subway, as everyone will agree, is concocting elaborate fantasies about what it would be like to be married to the most interesting strangers you see there.” quote by Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/russell-smith-9877_about_the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the_3138836.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/russell-smith-9877_about_the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the_3138836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/russell-smith-9877_about_the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the_3138836.jpg) > “The only pleasurable part of taking the subway, as everyone will agree, is concocting elaborate fantasies about what it would be like to be married to the most interesting strangers you see there.” [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagining romantic stories with strangers on the subway provides a harmless mental escape from daily monotony. **In simple terms:** Daydreaming about strangers on the subway. Key Takeaway Let your imagination wander, but stay present. Themes imagination loneliness urban life Mood playful reflective Type observational humorous When to use this quote - commuting - waiting for train - creative writing - social media content Key Concepts fantasy social connection escapism Questions to Reflect On - What does this fantasy reveal about your desire for connection? - How can you channel this creativity into real social interactions? A Different Perspective May cause unrealistic expectations of real relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fantasies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasies/) [Pleasurable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasurable/) [Strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers/) ## Related quotes > [So we came to understand that small and important thing, that our lives could be large with interesting strangers who would pass us without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/so-we-came-to-understand-that-small-and-important-thing-that-our/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [There's nothing wrong with officials taking the subway. Why is this unusual? So people talked about 'one country, two systems,' but maybe we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-officials-taking-the-subway-why-is-this/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [In Toronto, I grew up taking a subway, I grew up taking a bus. I spent my formative adult years in New York City,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-colantoni/in-toronto-i-grew-up-taking-a-subway-i-grew-up-taking-a-bus-i-spent/) [Enrico Colantoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-colantoni/) > [On film, when you're driving home from the set, you realize what you should have done, but it's too late. When you're taking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mckean/on-film-when-you-re-driving-home-from-the-set-you-realize-what-you/) [Michael McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mckean/) > [Being in New York City is the best because I'm always walking, taking the subway and walking up and down the stairs - whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-ortiz/being-in-new-york-city-is-the-best-because-i-m-always-walking-taking/) [Ana Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-ortiz/) > [If I ever have to stop taking the subway, I'm gonna have a heart attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/if-i-ever-have-to-stop-taking-the-subway-i-m-gonna-have-a-heart-attack/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [I like taking the subway to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/i-like-taking-the-subway-to-work/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [My dog has the intellectual capacity of a lime wedge, yet even he possesses an elaborate set of assumptions, based on his ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/my-dog-has-the-intellectual-capacity-of-a-lime-wedge-yet-even-he/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [We routinely participate in elaborate nonverbal exchanges even when we are not consciously aware of doing so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/we-routinely-participate-in-elaborate-nonverbal-exchanges-even-when/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [There can be no defense like elaborate courtesy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-can-be-no-defense-like-elaborate-courtesy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Structure that really pays off is all based on emotion. I don't write down an elaborate plan. It's really done by feel. It's one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-swift/structure-that-really-pays-off-is-all-based-on-emotion-i-don-t-write/) [Graham Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-swift/) > [“But what was it in himself he needed to look at so much that he'd invented this elaborate scenario?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-g-hunter/but-what-was-it-in-himself-he-needed-to-look-at-so-much-that-he-d/) [Allan G. Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-g-hunter/) > [I hope that if you are employed full-time, you are doing it to ensure that basic needs are met and not simply to indulge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/i-hope-that-if-you-are-employed-full-time-you-are-doing-it-to-ensure/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [The more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-we-elaborate-our-means-of-communication-the-less-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Would you care to elaborate?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/would-you-care-to-elaborate/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Russell Smith > [If you tell your husband or boyfriend for his whole life that he needn't worry about his clothes, that he couldn't possibly understand them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/if-you-tell-your-husband-or-boyfriend-for-his-whole-life-that-he/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [Canadian writers don't live in gated mansions; you can just talk to them when you see them lining up at the Second Cup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/canadian-writers-don-t-live-in-gated-mansions-you-can-just-talk-to/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [I was given a thick paperback copy of the 'Guinness Book of Records' when I was 11 years old, and I read it gluttonously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/i-was-given-a-thick-paperback-copy-of-the-guinness-book-of-records/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [I would rather be nuts than unattractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/i-would-rather-be-nuts-than-unattractive/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [What I would love to see is art that explicitly addresses not personal intimacies but anonymous intimacies: the vast collections of facts about you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/what-i-would-love-to-see-is-art-that-explicitly-addresses-not/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [Indeed, the whole point of the man bun, I have surmised, is to assert a high proficiency at yoga. There are no yoga-achievement badges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/indeed-the-whole-point-of-the-man-bun-i-have-surmised-is-to-assert-a/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [Anything that encourages a boy to open a book, in a world of more violent and therefore more compelling video games, is something I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/anything-that-encourages-a-boy-to-open-a-book-in-a-world-of-more/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [Verisimilitude is something I am constantly seeking in fiction. I am looking for surface detail that makes something seem real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/verisimilitude-is-something-i-am-constantly-seeking-in-fiction-i-am/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [Increasingly, to dismiss any popular artistic style is seen as the worst kind of snobbery. And snobbery, it goes without saying, is unacceptable in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/increasingly-to-dismiss-any-popular-artistic-style-is-seen-as-the/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [What I don't understand is why men have decided that they like wearing hats indoors. It makes no sense to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/what-i-don-t-understand-is-why-men-have-decided-that-they-like/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [I am indeed completely nuts, but that doesn't mean I don't care about how I look. Sometimes, I admit, I will privilege appearance over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/i-am-indeed-completely-nuts-but-that-doesn-t-mean-i-don-t-care-about/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [Everyone likes to hear that their eccentricities and their addictions are simply evidence of their sensitive artistic nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/everyone-likes-to-hear-that-their-eccentricities-and-their-addictions/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [There is actually no such thing as an Artist type. 'Artist' is just an economic designation, a box you tick on a form. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/there-is-actually-no-such-thing-as-an-artist-type-artist-is-just-an/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [One of the qualities essential to writing exciting stories, whether for page or screen, is an ability to abandon one's morality. We simply cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/one-of-the-qualities-essential-to-writing-exciting-stories-whether/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) > [I have never, ever, not once, met a writer who said he or she would never read a mystery or a story set in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/i-have-never-ever-not-once-met-a-writer-who-said-he-or-she-would/) [Russell Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) [Explore all 69 Russell Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only pleasurable part of taking the subway, as everyone will agree, is concocting elaborate fantasies about what it would be like to be married to the most interesting strangers you see there.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Russell Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the-subway-as-everyone-will-agree/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the-subway-as-everyone-will-agree/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/russell-smith-9877_about_the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the_3138836.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/russell-smith-9877_about_the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the_3138836.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c51/russell-smith-9877_about_the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the_3138836.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only pleasurable part of taking the subway, as everyone will agree, is concocting elaborate fantasies…” — Russell Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Russell Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only pleasurable part of taking...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the-subway-as-everyone-will-agree/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-smith/the-only-pleasurable-part-of-taking-the-subway-as-everyone-will-agree/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```