Taxicab passengers are not surprised to find books, mobile phones, umbrellas or eyeglasses that have been left behind by previous customers. The same sort of thing can happen, in some places at least, on subways and commuter trains. But it's not every day - fortunately - that somebody leaves a 1.2 metre dogfish shark in a subway car.
But that's what happened on a Queens-bound subway train in New York City on Wednesday. As you might expect, this strange discovery has created a buzz on the web. Before it was removed, somebody photographed it with an energy drink beside it, a subway fare card, and a cigarette in its mouth; the photo soon went online.
Oddities like this spur the imagination. What could have landed this poor animal in such an unlikely place? Why was someone carrying it? And how? And why did the person abandon it?
Strange things do happen in transit. In June, a Dubai taxi driver discovered in his car - and turned in to the authorities - a bag with Dh200,000 in cash, and jewellery worth Dh1 million. Surely nobody had left that behind on purpose. As for the shark, we'll never know; all we can do is hope that this fad doesn't reach our own next Metro car or taxi.
