I try not to be too negative, but Thursday morning pushed me over the edge.
First, my dogs were up and raring to go much too early, my Windows Vista computer decided in the middle of an email to do an update that there is no stopping (they now do save the material, even if you haven’t, but when you reopen it you can’t place a curser, you have to do a select all and paste the word in an entirely new mail document). Of course, there is the on-going ant issue. Before they only appeared in the spring, this year they have stayed with us into the summer with no signs of stopping their invasion, even with trying a thousand home remedies and dual ant traps.
However, things didn’t really start to go downhill until I left for work. The DC Metro is still running slower trains around the area where there was an accident, which impacts my 40-minute each way commute by increasing it about an hour or more for to and for fro. Today, however, was even worse. The train on the platform (which usually doesn’t happen) was full and just sat there for quite some time.
In an announcement (why do public transportation systems purchase PA systems that sound like the adults in Peanuts TV specials if they have colds and were unwrapping throat lozenges wrapped in really crinkly paper?) something was said about a train that had broken down. I then assumed (yes, I know the saying about that word) that my wait was because of that.
A train finally arrived and I rode into town (on a humid morning with no air conditioning in the car) to where I switch trains. That was when I heard the announcement again (maybe those sound systems work better in enclosed spaces, this second announcement was clearer) and discovered that the mechanical difficulty was not a train on the tracks for my first route, but on the lines I was changing to.
Even then I soldiered on, not even too upset with the woman who was pulling her suitcase on wheels (since when did they replace messenger bags or briefcases?) and cutting people off, causing 3 people that I saw to stumble on the caboose she was towing.
Again my train waited before moving, long enough that the car was filled, seats and standing room. The man who was standing directly in front of me had a backpack that was threatening my head if he shifted any closer, but (luckily?) he started to move, stepped on my foot and realized he was too close to the seat that was occupied by me and another commuter.
As I arrived at my stop, I was self-consoled, at least I had a seat on both trains I rode to work. Then I got to the escalator to leave the station and that was it. Unlike NYC or Boston, where musicians are allowed to perform inside the subway stations, DC’s Metro does not provide performance space. Performers often locate themselves right outside the entrances/exits to stations, with instruments and cash collecting device close by. Today, of all days, my stop had a man with his portable keyboard singing all about surrendering himself to Jesus.
Jesus. My thoughts exactly.
