One recent night, Ryan David LaMont settled into the wary peace of a post-midnight journey on the No. 2 train. He was not quite alone, since a few other people were on board, but he had rows and rows of seats to choose from.

Mr. LaMont, 24, an actor, dancer, singer and — yes — waiter was coming home from work. He was eager to close his eyes but was kept awake by his companion: the novel “Veronika Decides to Die” by Paulo Coelho. It was 1:30 a.m.

Riding from the West Side of Manhattan to Crown Heights, he scarcely noticed the stations, but the rhythm of stop-start-lurch-roll-stop, the Morse code of the subways, registered like a G.P.S. device. 14th Street. Chambers. Borough Hall.

At Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, the doors opened, and the pace changed.

“An N.Y.P.D. officer stepped into the car, pointed at me and another guy who was sitting on the other end of the train,” Mr. LaMont said. “He told us, ‘Get off the train.’ ”