I am sure most people in New York do it too (read a book, play games, not worry about pickpockets). Most New York trains are not really crowded at rush hour, with the exception of Lexington avenue line.
So you would sleep on an MTA train during rush hour with your bag just sitting on your lap? Most people I know wouldn't.
> Most New York trains are not really crowded at rush hour, with the exception of Lexington avenue line.
And neither are most lines in Tokyo. There are 2 or 3 trunk lines that are really crowded. The rest have only moderate occupancy. Each month, I was probably on a train where I didn't have room to move only once or twice a month.