Kamikaze Commuters
Ascending the escalator at Silver Spring Metro, I heard the clickety-clack of heels running up the stairs behind me. Reaching the top, I moved to the side and saw that a Grosvenor train was about to close its doors. The clickety-clack intensified and the woman ran past me, bags flying every direction, arms stretched out to catch the train. She twisted, launching herself into the train sideways, her bags catching in the closing doors. A good yank got the bags free, but that yank plus her forward momentum pushed her past the pole she was trying to use to catch herself, and straight into the man who had boarded a few seconds before her, knocking him into the next person. I rolled my eyes as this happened, as I am never one to run for a train, especially not in the morning. What’s the goddamn hurry to get to work? Seriously, nothing can be so serious that you have to:
a) Run up the Metro escalator in heels
2) Rush to catch a train to get to the ultimate instrument of torture: Monday morning at work
III) Run across the Metro station tiles which, thanks to the rain, are even more slippery than usual—and again, you’re in heels (and might I add, you don’t sound very stable in them)
Cuatro) Risk getting smudged with Metro door gunk just for the sake of catching the train
Cinq) Risk messing up the train doors and having everyone on the train and on the platform hate you for causing an offload
I remarked on this to IP, who just shook his head and said he didn’t understand the kamikaze commuters. To which I snorted.
Nice alternative name for the door divers. I like it!
Lesson? Take it easy. Avoid injury to yourself and to others. Your boss knows Metro sucks. No one expects you in on time anymore!
DC Blogs! DC Blogs!
On another note, it’s telling that in a town as buttoned-up as DC, a free pass for lateness is as easy as two words: Red Line.
Perhaps. We shall see. :)
But anyway, yeah: living on the Red Line does give you an excuse for any sort of tardiness. Hung over and need an extra hour to sleep? Red Line. Stopping to have breakfast and coffee with a friend before work? Red Line. An excuse for why you think you’d be more productive working from home (read: going to the gym, doing chores and catching up on books) on any given day? Linea Roja!
;)