Well, quite a bit in fact. I have been taking the commuter rail for many years now, and for many different reasons, and each ride brings forth a whole new host of characters, personalities, and downright strange interactions.
Let me backtrack. I am from the suburbs of Boston. In the burbs, life is typically quiet. Bursting at the seams with mediocrity and routines, the suburbs often are woven with the same thread. Usually the landscape is quilted with colonial filled developments, each one containing a vast network of mid-level professional heads-of-households. While the kids go to school and the inevitable extracurricular sport each day, these professionals go to work. Many of them work locally, but many more work in the city. And even though my town is located right off of 95, to beat traffic, the preferred method of transportation is public...the MBTA commuter rail.
Now, one would be right to assume, that a combination of all of these local professionals would result in a dignified and pleasant ride into the city. But oh, how wrong you are.
There is a force that takes over when you step onto the grimy steps of the commuter rail. An alternate universe that seems to engulf the personality of the rider and turn it down at least 10 negativity points. Things that would never bother you seem to get on your last nerve. You develop a distinct hate for your fellow passengers. Judging a book by it's cover has never been so easy before. Heaven help the poor soul to answer his cellphone, or try to sit in the middle of a three-seater during peak hours.
Well worded, well written, and image well captured Sister Annie. You have most definitely sated my late night thirst for knowledge of the dreary lives of Masshole commuters. I couldn't agree with your interpretation more.
ReplyDelete- Dan Trindade
p.s. - Just ignore my blog its really kind of....well I only wrote in it when I was inebriated.