Skip to main content

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) 







Labels:
Location: St. Louis, MO, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kermit and Mickey Mouse , Sad

I am a sucker for old fashion cartoons that I can proudly admit that I saw Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs more than I can count my fingers and toes; unabashedly cried when the great King Mufasa died and Simba tried to wake him up, commiserate with  Miss Piggy in her unrequited love for Kermit and other emotional display of affection to these animated personalities that I won't mention for it will totally make me look beyond silly . I n May of 1990, the creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson died.  I saw a tribute from the Disney artist of a drawing of Kermit the Frog being consoled by Mickey Mouse on the death of Kermit's creator.  That drawing created an imprint on my mind the idea of  raw sadness associated with death. Ironic that non living cartoon characters could invoke such  cogent feeling in me, on issue of death.  Here is the photo I am talking about:  T here is a colored version of this but I was still digging up the Internet and up ...
16 comments
Read more

A question is a question and forever a question

I was the last child of my mother, she died when I was a baby at the age of 40. Being motherless and with other 9 siblings to contend with ,ain't no fun.  People, successful or the opposite of what a succes should be are often asked, would you change the story of your life  if you are given the chance? Answer of  course would be relative, who would want to be a hobo all their lives; Bill Gates will say no, I am betting my last dollar on it.  After ruminating the events that had transpired from the day I saw the daylight (not even sure if I was born on daytime or at night) to where I am right now (a happy married life, good health, loving family and friends; and a demanding cat) there is only one thing I would change. I wish my mother had not died young.  But I believe there is no such thing as untimely death. If its your time its your time, no ifs and buts.  My siblings and I often wonder the scenario if...
2 comments
Read more

Stanley Ketchel by Manuel A. Mora

Vertically challenged we the Filipinos are, yet we love the sport of basketball where height is definitely a might.  Growing up with my older brother in one television household,  my chances of watching my favorite shows were remote as me winning jueteng (local numbers game) when the pro basketball season was on. Boxing is another sport that Filipinos have affectation for.  I think we have better chances to succeed  in this sport, we have the physical built and mental toughness to survive in the pugilist arena.   Interestingly, a nephew of my husband, Manuel Mora recently published his book , Stanley Ketchel  A Life of Triumph and Prophecy , and it's out in the market.  It's an engaging story of an American boxer, I had read the rough draft of the book and I am pretty adamant that this will be a  good read. Check out the book especially if you are a boxing aficionado or just to learn the life of an unsung American Boxer -...
2 comments
Read more