Comments (16)

By kilax, October 27, 2008 12:29 pm

Within the group of people commuting to Chicago on Metra each day, there’s an entire subculture of people acting a certain way. A little ritualistic. A little obsessive. A little… crazy. They’ve been riding the train for a long time and they’ve developed a few… habits.

For example, a lot of people HAVE to sit in the same seat every morning AND every evening! I know this isn’t unique to riding a train, people do it in classrooms as well. But the Metra people get pissed off if they don’t get “their” seat. I’ve see it happen – “Why are you sitting in my seat?!” Your seat? You don’t own the train, buddy! We all paid (nearly) the same to get on.

As much as I try to fight developing those behaviors/habits, I notice that I am.

I do like to sit in the same seat in the morning, because it is the most comfortable one for me to sleep in without bringing a pillow. And… I do get a little frustrated when someone is sitting there! There, I admitted it! But, I tell myself to get over it, because it IS ridiculous. And I don’t care where I sit on the way home (as long as the person next to me isn’t on the phone).

There’s a monthly Metra newsletter you can grab a copy of on the train. It contains news, but also a section called “Sound Off,” for people to write in and complain about whatever they want. I appreciate the letters complaining about people yapping on their phone and hogging seats with all of their bags. That annoys me too.

Some of the letters are just funny though. You have to read this one (taken from pg. 3 “Take the high road?”):

I love reading about the complaints people have, sometimes about the strangest things. Well, I’m going to try to contribute to that:

I personally have a problem with how people are too courteous to others while getting off the trains. You see, the upper level passengers, though there are fewer of them compared to the ground level, always get to merge while exiting at a one-to one ratio with all the passengers on the main floor (sometimes even two-to-one since one person from each side of the upper level gets to go!). That then leads to the whole upper level clearing out before even the first three to four rows of passengers on the ground level getting off – it’s pretty unfair if you ask me! I mean, so if you’re in the last two to three rows of that cabin – forget it, you might as well sit down, have breakfast, read War and Peace if you’re trying to get off quick – all the while you see the smirking faces of the upper level passengers as they get off without delay. I propose a four-to-one ratio be unofficially implemented, where the upper level passengers should wait before coming down and merging with all the other traffic. This would only be fair. Otherwise, I’m going to start practicing my climbing skills to get myself up there so I can get off the train sooner!

I write all this with a smirk on my face –– but honestly, it is my pet peeve!

Of course this made me laugh. I sit on the top so I CAN get off first! Ha ha ha! Really though, at least this guy had a sense of humor about the whole thing.

So what would I write if I was going to contribute a crazy letter to “Sound Off”? Let me tell you what bothers me (so you can laugh at me!).

In the morning, before the train arrives, people line up on the platform in groups, where the doors will likely open. People do the same thing in the evening, but the difference is that the train is sometimes already there (just not opened yet).

At my stop in the morning, there is a woman who sits in the station, staying warm while people stand outside in the cold, waiting for the train. As soon as she hears the train coming, she runs out and gets right in front of everyone to be the first on the train.

Yes, this drives me nuts. It’s not Italy* lady! We DO follow lines here in the U.S.!

In the evening, people do the same thing. There is a large group waiting to get on, and someone comes traipsing along and stands right in front of everyone, because THEY want to get on first.

Of course, this bothers me, because I am one to follow unwritten rules, courtesies and ethics. But it does say – yes, I am turning into one of these crazy train people.

*When I lived in Italy, I realized no one there follows the concept of “standing in line.” It’s kind of just a big huddle of people trying to funnel and push their way into wherever they are all trying to go. I got used to it and began to embrace it. I liked pushing other people around. Ha!