Subway Sandwiches

My daughter phoned me last night to relate her adventures that evening on the subway train. Living in a city of over 2 million...you meet a few 'interesting' people while taking public transit. Yes, she met a couple of 'choice' ones last night! Speaking of weird people who ride in public...

I remember when I first rode the subway train. We've grown up in a relatively small city. Before my (baby) daughter moved to the big city, I wanted to ensure she could find her way around and know what to expect on her first day of college (not to put my mind at ease or anything...). So we rode the subway together a week or so before college began (you know...so I could help her). She was quite confident in where she was going, and always had to redirect her mother who would automatically go west if she should be going east. After I flustered a subway cashier insisting I wanted a transfer even though we didn’t need it (but what IF we did???), we found our way to the boarding platform to wait for the next train. I observed how quickly you have to bound onto the train before the doors automatically shut, and of course there’s a rush of people coming out when you want to go in. It’s great fun. Especially when you’re trying not to lose someone you’re with. We boarded the train and I immediately learned that men no longer give up their seats for women. It was standing room only. So I stood hovering over a young ablebodied man as I dug in my feet and clung to a pole, acting as though I had a good sense of balance as the ‘red rocket’ shot down the tracks. I erased all thoughts of falling headfirst into his lap each time the train jolted. Another thing I observed is the silent rule--- you do not look into people’s faces or smile at anyone. That rule in itself could send me into fits of laughter - it doesn't take much. (My daughter now sometimes rides with a friend who breaks that rule - he takes snapshots with his camera phone of passengers in humorous positions who are falling asleep, while another friend makes interesting poses beside the unsuspecting dreamer. At least it gets a few laughs out of strangers!)

Anyways, on this day, my daughter (holding to another pole) and I chatted about the route map that was posted near the ceiling and took note of how many stops we had left before we would 'detrain'. I continued to attempt to not fall into the lap of the young man who was definitely ignoring me. I noticed again how quickly the doors opened and shut. I had a mental picture of myself being the one whose purse would get caught in the door, and I would be flattened against the train like ‘Coyote’ of Roadrunner fame.... and the train would speed away with my body plastered to the outside of it.

Finally, our stop was next. I turned away from the young man, who was still ignoring me, and I readied myself directly in front of the door which was beside him. With the ‘Coyote’ image seared in my brain, I determined to pounce off the train as quickly as possible. I suddenly had that feeling you get when someone is staring at you. I glanced at the young man and turned away quickly as he was staring intently up into my face. It was rather unnerving. Why now would he suddenly choose to stare? I began to get uncomfortable as he wasn’t turning away his glare. The train stopped, and there was a flood of passengers to the doors as they rushed off…..away from me in the opposite direction to what I was facing. The door before me remained tightly closed. I peered through the window of the door at a brick wall as the young man continued to look up into my face. Ohhhhhh. Another lesson learned. The side of the train you enter, may not always be the same side you disembark. I hugged my purse and turned with an ‘I MEANT to do that’ facade, and exited the train on the opposite side, hoping to never see that man again. The roar of the train speeding off drowned out our peals of laughter.

As we made our way to the college, I realized why the young man had been staring at my face. He had been peering at the word ‘Dork’ written on my forehead! It's why I faithfully wash my face everyday!