[lolinder]

I'm not questioning that NYC's subway is a disaster. Yes, I've spent time in it and have spent time in a few specific European subways and am well aware of the difference.

I'm all for questioning why NYC's subway is worse than London's. I just think that questioning why "cities in Europe and China can afford all this stuff and we (Americans) can’t" is a bad framing: it's so general as to be meaningless and perpetuates misleading stereotypes about both sides of the pond.

The fact at hand is that NYC specifically is a deeply corrupt and extremely filthy city by any standard, European or American.