Usually, riding the metro in August is a breeze. Many Washingtonians have left the hot, humid city for a quick get-away before the new school year begins and the congressional session resumes.
I wanted to take this opportunity to remind folks of a few considerations when riding the metro:
1) Stand with your shoulders parallel to the seats. My biggest pet-peeve is when someone decides to stand in the aisle with their rear in my face. On several occasions, I've adjusted myself in a seat so that I can sort of tap/kick the offensive person—in hopes that they'd adjust. I don't think it is too much to ask that folks direct their rear towards the front/rear of the train car.
Along the same lines, please don't rest your rear or your shoes on the vertical railing. People have to hold on to those rails and I can only imagine what sorts of microorganisms get transferred from your bum and shoes…
2) Keep it quiet. Another annoyance during the morning/evening commute is loud folks—particularly, the immature, attention-starved teenagers and the self-important cellular phone users—who seem to want everyone to know all their business. Quiet commute time is very valuable for catching up on reading or reflecting on the day. Close quarters on Metro necessitate mindful communication volume.
3) Avoid Forest Gump-style Rejection. You all know what I'm talking about. The "can't sit here…seat taken" (in a good ole boy accent, of course) half-asleep posture and attitude that many folks take when they finally claim a seat on the Metro. Move your bags and your body so that you only take up ONE seat. Also, don't give me an attitude when I ask you to move over so that I can sit down.
I'm sure that there are some other things that I could comment on (like the need for signs to warn riders of cars without A/C…), but those are the big ones.
I must note that I always abide by number 1-3 during commuting hours, though I've been known to break number 2 on late weekend nights if I've had enough to drink.
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