Story Time: The Metro

I hate the Metro; more than anything I hate the lack of space on the things.

I went on a journey today for work, one that required I simply take the Métro from Bellecour to Grange-Blanche, only about a 15 minute ride.  From the beginning, it was ridiculously un-fun.  The pushing to get through the ticket checking machine, the 2 minutes we all wait to get on the metro.  The shoving to get onto the actual car.

The worst, in my opinion, is knowing what you are supposed to do for 15 minutes while you are chugging along.  If you are unlucky, the car is packed to the hilt and you're forced to wave around for a pole to balance yourself.  The luckiest you can get is to find a seat, but I am never so lucky.

I stared at my shoes for about 5 minutes, the slowest 5 minutes of my life.  I glanced up, flicking my eyes around the crowd never make eye contact I repeat in my head.  I focus on the sign above the old woman's head to my left.  Suddenly I notice the smell emiting from her is not the cookies and ice cream type of Grandma, but the drunk in the middle of the day type.  After I read the sign for about 3 minutes, or about 4 times, I return to my shoes.  I now notice that there is a Romanian guy playing the accordian and sending his 3 year old to look pitiful and beg for money.  I can't look at my shoes any more, because the kid is down there.  I quickly change my glance to outside the window- this only works for about 30 seconds until I start getting motion sick from looking outside at things passing.

Saxe-Gambetta.  I am counting in my head the stops, 3 more left.  I sigh and suddenly a group of ados get on the car and start playing their music out loud.  I sigh and turn my attentions to the old man sitting on a chair... a guy that just got on is noisily chewing on his white bread sandwich.  The girl on the other side is smart, she has a phone to play with, ear phones tucked into her ears.

1 stop left, I start becoming aware of the time passing, not a good thing... because when we are aware it is like watching a pot of hot water trying to boil- it goes so slow.  I stare at my shoes again, since the kid and father team got off and I try to focus on why there is mud on my shoe.

15 minutes later I shove off the metro and shove through the crowds, like sheeple, to exit.

Yes, I'm American.  I need a 2 foot radius to feel comfortable.

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