Here's a routine New York exchange, observed from an anonymous distance, that would never happen so gracefully in England: It's dark and raining, and a woman steps out of the Bowery Ballroom for a cigarette. But the bouncer won't let her shelter under the awning because she'd be in front of the exit, violating the fire code. "You have to stand out to the side," he mumbles. The woman doesn't want to get wet and so hovers for a second, amused, in the disallowed zone. Then, as another smoker goes back inside, he hands what seems to be a utility umbrella to the bouncer. The bouncer gives the umbrella to the woman without a word, and she takes it without a word, as if this was an established system she already knew about, although this seems... More >>>