Dude, Where's My Train Car?

Some serious Monday mayhem on the metro today. For those interested in the details, I am not in the least shocked by the photos and stories posted today at UNSUCKDCMETRO. When there's a one-track cluster already in progress as rush hour begins and then trains start off-loading on already crowded platforms... well, it is almost more shocking that there weren't resulting casualties.

And I don't say this lightly, because honestly, people go crazy when their commutes are wreaked with such havoc. We're talking look for the purple banana crazy. The shoving and general lack of consideration for others makes my top five most offensive commuter etiquette issues list. It's painful for all of us, nobody was hoping to be (more than 40 minutes!) late to where they were going, most people feel the demands of a work schedule increasing as the delays get longer. But fighting and shoving and general douche-y behavior does not make the process better. It makes it worse.

For example, it is very frustrating to be waiting for a train car, only to have to shuffle forward to an already crowded open door and be surpassed by swarms of other just arriving commuters getting the edge on your patience by claiming a spot that, by violating the non-existent laws of metro timing should have been yours. So then you decide that when the next car arrives, you are NOT. BUDGING. FOR. ANYONE. Which is when things get ridiculous.

Yes, people who cut in line in the normal course of life suck and should not be rewarded with timeliness and seating. However, as is more often the case on the metro, it is the train causing the problem, not the other commuters. Or, maybe it's the track. Or the conductors. Or really WMATA in general. The point is, it's not your fellow commuters (I realize this statement should have a long list of caveats... but generally) and taking out your frustrations with the metro on your fellow commuters doesn't help. It just means that you're focusing on the wrong problem and that doesn't help any of us get to work faster.

So tone down the drama and rudeness, step to the side, back up if necessary, and let people on and off the train to the best of your ability, because in the end, we're all going to be late and complaining about the metro -- we don't need to be complaining about each other too.

XOXO - Manic Monday