I blame the trains

I think I've become a local. Or, let's say the local behaviors meld well with my natural tendency to be in a hurry and annoyed with others.

It used to be that I people watched on the metro - more amused with the process than worried about whether I was squished or not.

Now, I'm easily ticked because someone thinks they can take up a bunch of room in the train while LEANING on me, when the GD train is nearly empty. I'm not a leaning post. I know you can feel me. In my opinion, I was here first and I will jab my book into you passive aggressively until you move.

In the same vein, I hate when people get all antsy behind me when pulling into one of the busiest stations in the morning. First, I can't go anywhere before the door opens any more than you can. Second, statistically speaking it's highly likely I'm getting off the train at this station. Third, really?

Then there's the people that race for the door to the train after it dings, and then physically pull the doors open. Somehow I don't think it's worth the possibility of losing an appendage when there's another train in about 5 minutes. At worst, 15 minutes. On top of that, I've heard though not yet witnessed, that when people pull the doors like that, it can break them resulting in everyone having to get off and wait for the next train. So this person's unwillingness to wait another 5-15 minutes results in about a 100 people's worth of inconvenience. Oh, and in the time it takes for the next train - you have that original hundred plus the new 100 that would have gotten on the next train as well. I've been told it makes for a wonderful ride.

Then there's the escalators. I totally get that out of towners don't know the rules (stand right, walk left) so I try to be patient - but for the love of god - please metro stations post signs! But there's the stubborn assholes that like to stand in the middle - clearly residents mind you. They're like human speed bumps in the path of making it to work on time. I ask you, who raised these inconsiderate asses? Who peed directly into their cherrios to make it necessary to screw up the commute of everyone behind them? Oftentimes, you catch trains by seconds making that escalator person the difference between making the train or not. Certainly they've been running late and had to race to catch the train, certainly they must have some appreciation for just how much people want to throw them down the stairs. And, yes, there is some possibility that they're thinking, "What's the rush, catch the next one." Um, yes but I could catch THIS one if you freaking moved. Personally, I think if you're going to take a stand about something, make it something kinda cool and newsworthy - not standing in the middle of the damn escalator.

Oh, yeah, and I'm chronically late to work these days. I blame the trains.