"...but you're not really there..."

"...it's just the radio..."

The streetcar is sixth in a crawling line, following a tow. We are heading south; nothing is coming north. A few blocks down from the station in the opposite lane, two streetcars sit, going nowhere. They are empty and as we drift by, I can see police officers and transit workers; a streetcar driver is explaining something to his colleague as he exits his vehicle. He gestures as if he is being throttled, then shakes his head. Beside the streetcars, in the road, an ambulance is parked. Its lights are off.

Crowds of people are waiting at various stops, looking confused and speaking into cell phones. Our driver makes a point, kindly, shouting out his window: "You might as well walk!" They look up; they nod, smile, and return to their conversations. No one knows what's going on.

I am almost alone on this streetcar. It's an unfamiliar feeling, but not out of place: everything right now seems so surreal. Sonic Youth playing "Superstar" in the headphones makes the perfect soundtrack as we move in slow motion; through unpopulated avenues and darkened markets, we're inching further into the dream state.

TRACK LISTING: Sonic Youth, "Superstar"