Commuter Hell

I have spent the past two days in commuter hell...also known as the Subway at rush hour. Those of you driving your Civics on an open road may find it difficult to relate, but even gridlock traffic would be a welcome change to the gridlock of bodies I encounter every morning. I mean to tell you these folks act like it's life or death that they get in this particular train car that's already way over capacity and stuff their size 14 selves into a 6-inch square of space, leaving their giant gym bag flapping in the breeze and holding up the doors. Funny how tourists think New Yorkers are unfriendly, yet we'll sit right in your lap and read your paper with you at 8:45 any weekday morning. Now really I don't understand the rush, I mean you're only going to work. I would happily be a few minutes late (my actual hours being relative...to my mood that day) and wait for the next train, rather than shove myself into a grumpy mob at 9am. Of course, some idiot who has already had too much coffee will bound into the train, naturally he will bump into the disgruntled postal worker functioning on 4 hours of sleep, she will begin the high-pitched, head-wiggling curse-out that only a New Yorker could give over a little nudge, and I will put in my earphones and bop merrily along to "Manic Monday," sadly knowing that Tuesday's are just as bad.

I'm not sure if there need to be more trains or fewer people, or if everyone just needs to break down and get a bike. But I do think that for the sake of my mental health I will just have to avoid the heavy traffic times, so if someone could let my office know I'll be in as soon as I possibly can;-)