Adventures on the Train, #2
(I don't have nearly as many adventures on the train as I do on the bus)
Anyway. Last night, I took the green line train home. I don't know why I decided to do this - there was a bus stop not far from where I got on the train, and also a red line train right there. I think I wanted to see if it's faster to take the green line than the red line. It's about the same, it turns out, because although the train ride is faster, and the walk is the same, not as many green line trains come to the stations and so I waited longer than I would for a red line train.
Anyway again. I had just gotten on the train and was settling in with my book when I noticed someone's purse and hand stuck in the doors! (aside: if you ever visit Washington, DO NOT stick your hand or your leg or your sister in the doors. They don't open up like elevator doors.) A nice guy jumped up and tried to pry the doors open so that she could get her hand and bag out of the door. He finally managed to open half the door, and all the while, the train was going crazy. Bells ringing and that Metro voice saying, "STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS."
Once he had pried open the door, instead of just snatching her hand back, she actually squeezed herself in through the half-door. Another guy said, "Don't do that! These doors don't open like elevator doors." And then, the piece de resistance. A few seconds later, the train conductor came over the loudspeaker, and said, "the young lady who just squeezed on to the train? DON'T DO THAT. You could have gotten hurt and you held up the rest of my passengers."
Awesome. I have never had a conductor call out a single passenger like that before.
4 Comments:
Thats good info to know! I can see that alot of people might assume they are like elevator doors.
yes, you're right, Amie! They do assume that. You can get really hurt... they try to announce not to do it but if it's your first time on the train you might miss the announcment.
I've been on Underground trains where they've called out specific passengers - it's very vindicating :)
People who hold up train doors like that annoy me so very much. The trains and Underground are similar here, but people try and jump in anyway (and I think recently they made them stronger: there was a guy trying to pry apart the 3/4-closed doors with his hands and he had to let go in the end). The other really annoying thing is that the Underground doors have sensors on that sometimes trigger if people are leaning on the doors (which is often inevitable in rush hour), which causes the train to automatically stop - but only once it's tried to start, so you end up with a very jerky ride forward for a while, all the while with the driver yelling down the intercom.
Reuss, you're right, vindicating. Perfect word for this situation.
Oh, our trains don't stop if you're leaning on the doors. Maybe we need them too. I agree during rush hour it's inevitable, but we often get people doing it when there are empty seats. I don't like people who congregate by the doors.
Sigh. Just follow the rules. That's all I ask. Stand right on escalators. Don't jump through closing doors. Don't hang out by the doors. Let people off before getting on. too much to ask??!?
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