New York City Bread Line, 2014

This was the line outside of the Madison Square Park Shake Shack at 10:30 a.m.; the fifth person in it arrived at 9:30. These people have been idling outside of a burger hut that does not open until 11 in order to procure an eight-dollar-and-fifty-cent cheeseburger that is topped with a shrimp patty and a paste made of fermented nuts and grains, designed by David Chang. History is sort of on their side: Yesterday’s special Shack burger, topped with pulled pork, was gone by 1:30 p.m., leaving many to wonder why they had even bothered to be born in the first place. A few survivors stumbled into Hill Country, where they ate a brisket sandwich, and are now resting comfortably in stable condition.