This morning I boarded the train. As always. The weather was looking rather repulsive. As we continued on our way it began to rain, then to pour. I glanced over at a passing train and there was a damn near waterfall pouring off the top of the car. Already I know in my head...there will be commuting problems today.
The train comes in to Penn Station, I disembark for the subway...the 1 train. I get up to the platform...I assume it was the platform, I couldn't really see past the hordes and hordes of people lining it. Usually its empty. There must be a problem. More and more people come up to the 1 platform...there is not even a path to move. Luckily for me I am at the end of the platform where I can easily mosey down the stairs and pop up elsewhere, such as the 2 or the 3 line. I wait for about 10 minutes. Four 3 trains go by. Three 2 trains (express) go by. No 1 train. I figure at this point even if the 1 train eventually shows up (i honest to God think they only have two number 1 trains in operation in all of NYC, and at the slightest drop of condensation they both break down), I'll never get on board and I'll be a squished banana in there.
I decide to take my chances...with a few other people...and take the next 2 or 3 train uptown... I know it doesn't stop at 50th street (my stop) but I figure at least I can take it to 42nd. I take the 2 to 42nd street. There's a whole platform of people waiting there for the 1 train as well and they look like they've been waiting just as long. I decide to find the C & E lines, even though its 8th avenue & 50th...its better than the prospect of getting squished, stuck, groped and/or molested on a crowded and very unhappy 1 train. The E is crowded. 50th street. Oh look...its raining...no...wait...its not raining, its pouring...and an old homeless man was snoring. Oh goody. My umbrella is at the office. I have a sweatshirt that I can place over my head. There was a man selling umbrellas at the edge of the subway entrance...but he undoubtedly was charging some obscene amount. I walked it w/no umbrella. Toward the end of my journey it started to rain harder, and there were large puddles...thankfully I had enough sense to wear sneakers today. I'm soaked. Everyone is crashing into me with their umbrellas (please people, use some umbrella etiquette!)...it was good times. Its still raining, and all I want to do is sleep :)
The disaster of the 1 train and the non-stop rain I know will give me commuting troubles later. Which brings me to question....why, why after all these centuries of rain do these transportation people act like they are never prepared for it. You would THINK that after all this time, they might devise some form of a strategy wherein a tiny drop of rain doesn't send the whole system into massive chaos and self-destruction. ITS RAIN PEOPLE! ITS BEEN AROUND SINCE NOAH! GET A GRIP! Let it not phase the medium of transportation!
2 comments:
HAHAHA yikes! I think your flip flops would have been better in that they wouldn't have minded the puddles, although they do flip the water right up unto your backside.
yeah i think the only thing that could have made the day more memorable would be to have water flipped up to my backside to look like i wet my pants...good idea karen. bah hah hah
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