commute

The train pulled into my station when I was about 500 feet away. I like it when this happens, because there is no chance that I can make it to the train when I'm that far away. If I'm any closer than 500 feet there is a chance, and I can't help myself when I think there is a chance to make the train. I run down the hill, weave through the people on the stairs, blast through the turnstile, and dive through the closing doors of the train a sweaty, heaving mess.

So, it's always a relief when I'm too far away to make sprinting an option. If I lived in another neighborhood this wouldn't even be an issue because I couldn't see the trains approaching, but where I live all the subway trains are about 25 feet in the air on elevated tracks, thereby making them superways, I guess.

At the top of the stairs is the station, with the turnstyles, the token booth (complete with a genuine human employee) and several automatic metro card dispenser machines. The only thing automatic about them is when they spit out your card and receipt, though, because you have to use a touch screen to make your selection from the array of fine MTA products. Today, however, each machine was being used by persons who may just as well have been trying to communicate with alien life. The man in front of me listlessly and randomly poked at the screen, doing the same operations over and over again. I'm not convinced he knew what the purpose of the machine was. The other machine was being abused by a lady who couldn't seem to find her language from the choices provided and kept on turning back and showing me the $7 in her hand while shaking her head and muttering. 10 minutes and two trains later, I was on the platform. Goodbye train Karma

All else was pretty typical except for one thing. At 110th St. my train conductor, who I believe was W.C. Fields, announced that "duuue to a poohleece innvestigaaation, oowll uptooowwn and dowwntoowwn traains will be skippeeng 96th Streeet." Someone probably should have told the people at 96th St., because the population of the crowded platform looked pretty bewildered as we glided through, ignoring them.