Why the US Can't Have Nice Things, Part 2 (walkingtheworld.substack.com)

After a delayed international flight and an extended, chaotic TSA passport-control process at JFK, the author describes a crowded early-morning A train marked by homelessness, filth, and tense encounters. Using travel observations from places like Bulgaria and Korea, he argues that the U.S.—especially New York—has a broken, low-trust public sphere where riders without alternatives are hit hardest. He suggests that while some procedures could be improved, the deeper problem is cultural: social trust has eroded and can’t be repaired with policy tweaks alone.