strangers on a train...

(Photo by me)
Today I rode into work with my roommate, Ryan. He works at the Kennedy Center box office, and I work at Ticket Place. He has to be at work a half an hour earlier than I do, so it all works out great: I ride in with him, take the Kennedy Center shuttle to the Foggy Bottom metro, then metro to Metro Center, then walk a few blocks and I'm there. This has saved me gas money, plus is an eco friendly way to work (similar to my car pooling with Amy McWilliams during MJD).
Going home is a different matter, however, since Ryan gets off earlier than I do. So I take the Archives metro,making sure to grab a bus transfer receipt before I catch my train, and get off at the Pentagon stop. From there I catch the 22A bus, give the bus driver my bus transfer receipt and 35 cents. I get off about 2 blocks from my house and walk home.
Easy, right?
So this morning at about 8:30AM I am getting ready and see on the dresser a pile of change. I put this change there the night before to remind myself that I needed heaps of change that morning (some to add fare onto my metro card, and some for the bus). I grab a fistful and am on my way out.
Work was great.
Fast forward to the evening's commute. I get my bus transfer thingy as I am running down to Archives at 6:31, when metro's website said that their next train was coming.

Not quite true, but there you go.
The train gets there and I get on, seated across from some obvious travellers with their luggage in tow. I reach into my pocket to pull out 35 cents, knowing that the ride home is short, and I want to be prepared for the next step in the commute home. I pull out a hand full and see that it consists entirely of quarters. I check my other pockets and get the same story. No dime. All I need is a lousy dime, and have nothing but quarters. "Ok, what do I do? ", I think. I could ask someone while I am waiting for the bus if they have change for a quarter. I would hate to trouble someone like that, but what else do I do? I need exact change or I have no ride home.
Just then I overhear the travellers across from me ask a girl to their left if she knew how they could get to the Kennedy Center from the metro. The girl took out her ear buds from her Ipod long enough to shake her head and mutter "no". They looked concerned, and no one else seemed to be taking up the mantle of helpful DC metro area citizen.

I said to them, "You need to get the train to the Kennedy Center?"
"Yes, thanks so much! Our hotel is in Crystal City, but how will we get there from there?"
I showed them the way, illustrating the journey by highlighting the points of start and stop on the metro map behind them that they had not seen. I also informed them about the Kennedy Center shuttle, something I was ever so familiar with, and that if they wanted to make it in time to see their show, they had better get off at the next stop and switch lines and go straight to the Kennedy Center.
They thanked me, and also asked if there were any restaurants around the area. I informed them about the cafe at the Kennedy Center.
They were again thankful.
I thought to myself- "self-this is a great way to segway to ask them for change for my quarter...after all...wasn't all of that helpful advice worth at least 10 cents?"
I asked if they had change for a quarter, sheepishly telling them that I had no exact change for the bus, and that if they didn't have change, but still had a dime that I would give them a quarter for it.
The lady searched her purse and said, "I don't have change, but I do have a dime."
I gave her a quarter for her dime and said a very sheepish thank you.
Is sheepish even the word that I am looking for here? I don't care, forget it.
I get off the metro, and so do the travellers, heeding my advice to switch lines and get to the theatre asap. They question me once more as the train is zooming away.

"How do we get to the blue trains?"
I tell them that they have to go up one floor, and the blue line will be on their right hand side.
"Thank you so much. You know, you must be related to George.", the male traveller says to me.
"George?", I asked, not even seeing it coming.
"Bush. I say you must be related to George Bush because you're the nicest person we've met in this town!", the male traveller laughs to himself.
wow.
I must be related to George Bush, because I'm nice. Yeah, I totally see that correlation.
?
I laugh back and say before I part company with the travellers, "Nope, I am definitely not. Enjoy your show!"
Laughing at the whole exchange in my head, I ascended the escalator and walked to the 22A platform.
The bus pulls up, and as I go to hand the bus driver the transfer receipt and my well earned 35 cents, I see that there is a bag over where you put your fare that says "FREE RIDE TODAY".
I am a bit perplexed to this, and sit quickly in the front seat.
Talking to strangers seemed to be in fashion today, so I asked the bus driver, "Why is the bus free today?"
He says, "huh?". The tone that the "huh" was delivered in sounded like "don't talk to me."
"Why is it free?", I repeat.
"Bus is free when the air quality is Code:Orange.", he told me as if I should have known this my whole life.
Just having taken the bus for the first time last week, I still am learning the ropes.
I slump back in my seat and think about the 35 cents and the travellers. Funny how I went through all of that trouble and worry about a damn dime for a bus ride when I didn't even need one.
I knew that the bus had a stop on 34th, but wondered if there was anything closer. I asked the bus driver and he said something that sounded like yes, but I wasn't quite sure. I wasn't about to ask him to repeat whatever he grunted. He looked like he was wound tight and ready to spring.
I almost got off at the 34th stop, but thought, no, I'll see if there is a stop just a little bit closer. I pulled the stop request wire just before the intersection I was hoping to stop at.
No dice.
He didn't stop till one block past that.
oh well.
I walked the 2 1/2 blocks home and thought about how so many people commute like this daily, and even more involved in the transfer department. I am lucky I don't have to do this every single day. It is a little much for my ADD to handle.
Perhaps that is why all of the other commuters around traveller 1 and 2 chose to remain strangers on a train and not intervene. They just rode on in bored blank silence, staring at nothing in particular, or tuned the world passing by around them out by medicating themselves numb with Ipods.
Next stop, apathy.


I laugh to myself at the silliness of all of this as I walk to my front door.
Time to get some rest before I start this whole day over again tomorrow.
G'night.
SGS