The commute!
6:20a.m: I unlock the door. The morning chill hits me - brrrrrr!
It’s dark outside. The noise of cars whizzing past fills the air – do these people ever sleep? It's a comfort none the less, see, I’m not the only insane person. I trot to the bus stop.
6:25a.m the bus rolls up, I step in, say good morning to the bus driver while I swipe my card. Beep! Good! I still have some units. I look around for a spot to nestle for the next half hour or so. Fellow commuters hurdle in corners trying to catch the last dregs of sleep, others take the chance to read a book. Silence! - except for the vroom of the bus. Forget your taxi radios tuned in to Cha Ba Sa. leave us in peace! Who says we want to listen to what you want? Head phones hello?!
7:05a.m: The bus pulls up at the train station. Those who were drowsing wake up, pick their bags and make quick footsteps to the train tunnel. News paper guys, jolly as ever, handout the daily journal to whomever cares to stretch out their hand. Jackets and coats of every tribe jump up and down, and twirl around the metro area. Pockets of people stop by the metro machines to recharge their cards. I swipe my metro card and make a dash down the stairs to the waiting train. Commuters continue to walk the side of the rail. Then the auto announcement“Ding dong! Please step back, doors closing!” the last few dart in just in time. Train is headed to New Carrollton. Over 15 stops on the way, one of them is mine.
Papers flip endlessly as the curious and the bored and the I’ve-got-to-pass-this-time-constructively read the news of the day; Presidential campaigns are sizzling, who snatched an Oscar nomination? We know just the place to do a lipo suction and what is showing in the cinema kind of news.
7:30a.m: Farragut West! That’s my stop. I wade through the standing commuters to make it off the train. Climb up the escalator, swipe my card, up another escalator and I’m finally out in the open air. Woosh! It’s chilly! The winds wake me up, a not so subtle reminder that “it’s still winter people!”
Someone is walking in some direction. Tap tap tap! We wait for the traffic light to show the white man, so we can all walk across.
I have 20 minutes of me time before the work day begins. 8:00am,9,10,11,12 break!1,2,3,4,5:00p.m, I’ve got to head home!
I grab my coat, my bag, my lunch box and I'm out the door (on a good day).
5:20p.m: Escalator, swipe card, escalator. Fellow commuters line the rails waiting for the train. Here it comes! I’ve got to wait for passengers to get off before I can get on. “Ding dong, ding dong! Please step back, doors closing!” I’m in. Hmmm! all seats are taken, so I steady myself and hold onto the centre bar. Many of us are standing, taking care to give personal space. Don’t look directly at anyone unless of course you know them. So we look above their head, admire our shoes, read a book, check our phones, close our eyes, peer into space. The ride can be bumpy, the driver may slam the brakes suddenly, just be sure to have a firm grip and steady your legs. Someone leaves, I get a seat. I’m thinking about the next leg of my commute.
6:00p.m: We reach my station. I trek with the crowd, hurry up the escalator, swipe the card, dash to the bus stop. Oh! The line is long but organized, just join in at the back of the queue and wait (this might sound preposterous in some countries I know). Other times I have to sprint to the bus, worst scene is watching it drive away before you get there.
6:05p.m: The bus arrives. We walk in single file, swipe our cards, sit down and face forward. Many are tired so they doze off, but mostly they read a book, check their phones or stare out the window. You know the African when your eyes meet, they are usually looking around and into people faces. Normally, you can get on the bus half naked and no one will butt an eyelid, they will go on as though they haven’t seen you. Just like the drivers on the road, never looking left or right to see who is driving passed. But the African will continue looking around, reminds me of some people back home, you would think every driver and passenger is searching your car for their long lost friend.
6:30p.m: The bus arrives at the ‘Park and ride’. No one can stand the bus anymore, they’ve got to leave. They step off and I immediately see lights and hear beeps of every kind. Before the car door closes, the engine is raving, the car is moving and they are all gone, as if escaping a ferocious beast. Maybe it’s too cold, maybe time is too precious, maybe they are too tired and can’t wait to get home and rest. Tomorrow, we start the process again, the next day and the next and the …
It’s dark outside. The noise of cars whizzing past fills the air – do these people ever sleep? It's a comfort none the less, see, I’m not the only insane person. I trot to the bus stop.
6:25a.m the bus rolls up, I step in, say good morning to the bus driver while I swipe my card. Beep! Good! I still have some units. I look around for a spot to nestle for the next half hour or so. Fellow commuters hurdle in corners trying to catch the last dregs of sleep, others take the chance to read a book. Silence! - except for the vroom of the bus. Forget your taxi radios tuned in to Cha Ba Sa. leave us in peace! Who says we want to listen to what you want? Head phones hello?!
7:05a.m: The bus pulls up at the train station. Those who were drowsing wake up, pick their bags and make quick footsteps to the train tunnel. News paper guys, jolly as ever, handout the daily journal to whomever cares to stretch out their hand. Jackets and coats of every tribe jump up and down, and twirl around the metro area. Pockets of people stop by the metro machines to recharge their cards. I swipe my metro card and make a dash down the stairs to the waiting train. Commuters continue to walk the side of the rail. Then the auto announcement“Ding dong! Please step back, doors closing!” the last few dart in just in time. Train is headed to New Carrollton. Over 15 stops on the way, one of them is mine.
Papers flip endlessly as the curious and the bored and the I’ve-got-to-pass-this-time-constructively read the news of the day; Presidential campaigns are sizzling, who snatched an Oscar nomination? We know just the place to do a lipo suction and what is showing in the cinema kind of news.
Someone is walking in some direction. Tap tap tap! We wait for the traffic light to show the white man, so we can all walk across.
I have 20 minutes of me time before the work day begins. 8:00am,9,10,11,12 break!1,2,3,4,5:00p.m, I’ve got to head home!
I grab my coat, my bag, my lunch box and I'm out the door (on a good day).
6:00p.m: We reach my station. I trek with the crowd, hurry up the escalator, swipe the card, dash to the bus stop. Oh! The line is long but organized, just join in at the back of the queue and wait (this might sound preposterous in some countries I know). Other times I have to sprint to the bus, worst scene is watching it drive away before you get there.
6:05p.m: The bus arrives. We walk in single file, swipe our cards, sit down and face forward. Many are tired so they doze off, but mostly they read a book, check their phones or stare out the window. You know the African when your eyes meet, they are usually looking around and into people faces. Normally, you can get on the bus half naked and no one will butt an eyelid, they will go on as though they haven’t seen you. Just like the drivers on the road, never looking left or right to see who is driving passed. But the African will continue looking around, reminds me of some people back home, you would think every driver and passenger is searching your car for their long lost friend.
6:30p.m: The bus arrives at the ‘Park and ride’. No one can stand the bus anymore, they’ve got to leave. They step off and I immediately see lights and hear beeps of every kind. Before the car door closes, the engine is raving, the car is moving and they are all gone, as if escaping a ferocious beast. Maybe it’s too cold, maybe time is too precious, maybe they are too tired and can’t wait to get home and rest. Tomorrow, we start the process again, the next day and the next and the …
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