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Train commuting - missing not much

 I had a love hate relationship with my commuting to work. You see, I do not drive.  My husband worries so much about me being a menace to the motoring public and maximally living up to being an Asian stereotype driver.  So I take the public transportation - the St. Louis Metro Link.  I take the Blue Line, there were only 2 lines and I am in luck since that's the better riding experience. The city being a bit segregated, the red line I suppose passes the Red Lined communities of the county. 

I do not know what  to expect on a given day, it might be boring as any boring person that you know or will it be so full of drama that your favorite telenovela  pales in comparison.  Here are some worth mentioning: 

1. The Orange Guy  - He was  carrying an  orange, went to the center aisle, got every body's attention and started crushing the orange with his hand. He went on walking from back and forth with the juice of the  mashed orange dripping all over the floor. That's the only time that the train smelled so good to me.

2. The Trash Can Banger  - Passenger got off every station, bang the lid of the trashcan, get on the train again and do it all over again. Maybe he was fired from the Blue Man Group.

3. The Air Freshener Lady - The moment she sat down, she whipped up an air freshener and sprayed all around her. This one made me cough and I can't remember the scent because I was gagging.

4. The Moth/ Wet Dog Smell People - This usually happens during the cold season. Apparently the cold weather jackets/coats were either not washed of the last season's detritus or stored in a moth infused closet. 

5. The TMI type - Passengers yakking on the phone so loud that I can practically write their own biography without any interview session. 

6. The Sleepers - Their snores sounds like the horn on the tugboat in mighty Mississippi River that I thought I was  in the Gateway Arch River boat cruise.

7. The Funky Ones - Prevalent during the warm season, people wearing their shirts for nth time without the benefit of washing that I needed a massive amount of Vicks vaporub slathered on my nose or get off the train when I am in the verge of fainting due to my constricted breathing. 

8. The Rolling Store - Passenger selling items ranging from train tickets (discounted), socks , candies, cd's etc., it was tempting sometimes. It even gave rise to my entrepreneurial bent to sell fermented duck egg (balut) or taho  or DVD.

9. The St Louis Dodgers - The fare jumpers. Its fun seeing them trying to transfer to a different car train  but the cops knows their MO. My favorite was Grandma immediately got off the train when it stopped in the station trying to ride another train going to the opposite direction with the cop on her tail - talk about Senior Power.

10. The Observer - that's me. Making sure I got all the details of whatever shenanigans going on the train for our daily cooler office conversation piece. 


                                          

(from STL Post dispatch) 







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Location: St. Louis, MO, USA

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