Lesson #21 -Try not to spread your germs

The subway is a pretty crowded place. Hundreds of people use it every day. To assume that it is not a germ magnet would just be plain ignorant. Naturally, you would think to be more careful when you are on the subway so as to not contribute to the already germ infested air, but no. There are those that think it is perfectly normal to sneeze and cough without covering their mouths. This is what kills me. 

The country went into synchronized cardiac arrest the minute the H1N1 virus was announced. People weren't using public transportation, the planes were half empty, face masks were being sold by the hundreds, pharmacies were running out of disinfectant gel and yet the most basic of all the preventative measures people could have taken and should continue to involves very minimal effort and costs zero dollars. Wait for it...wait for it. JUST COVER YOUR MOUTH! Yea, it's just that simple. Oh and try not to do it with the hand that you are then going to hold on to the railing with. In fact, try not to use your hands at all. Instead, turn your head a little to the side and sneeze or cough into your inner elbow. 

Sitting at the end of the cart on the Red Line, watching a fully grown man sneeze the combined content of his nose and mouth into the air, onto the floor and then finally, God bless his considerate sole, into his hands, I couldn't help but want to whip out my own container of disinfectant gel and pour out a three foot germ free circle around him. Instead, he got up and left, leaving his filth on the railing for a young woman to hold on to and rub off on herself. I just sat there hoping that whenever she got to where she was going, the first thing she would do was wash her hands. And I couldn't even tell her. Oh well...

So there you have lesson #21. Simply put, make your best effort not to add to the already germ infested air that circulates around the subway or you might end up being the reason that someone gets sick. 

Lesson #20- Don't pick your ring tone

Oh the ring tone! A new development in our day and age to really set anyone apart from anyone else - to bring out the uniqueness in everyone so to speak. Since I am all about being unique, you would think that I would have no problem with people having different ring tones and taking the time to pick them out. Well I did have a problem with a certain female sitting right next to me on the train last night. She was sorting through her ring tones, trying to pick her perfect one at FULL BLAST a mere inches away from my ear! It was midnight! On a train full of people! Who does that?

Did she really just not care? Did her total lack of awareness and disregard for human beings not bother anyone else? It sure looked that way, because I was the only one who seemed like I had a problem with her selfish self sitting there, clicking from one ring tone to another. And it's not like they were even good ones, which would still make it totally wrong, but would at least make it a little more bearable to sit through the next four stops. And it's not like the stars were aligned in my favor that night and she would get off at the next stop. No no. In fact, I was so lucky that night that when I got ready to get off at my stop, so did she. So, for four stops I heard ding ding ding, ring ring ring, jingle jangle etc etc ETC!!!

I don't even know what else to say, except that I hope I never have to experience that again. 

So there you have lesson #20. Simply put, have some general regard for the people around and refrain from picking your ring tone on the subway. 

Lesson #22- Don't forget to request a stop

When I first arrived to Boston, I wasn't entirely familiar with the subway system. Turns out, when you emerge from underground to the street level while traveling on the Green Line, you have to request each stop by pulling on a wire that hangs above the sitting areas, illuminating the "request stop" sign. If you don't, the train operator will assume that no one needs to get off at the stop and just keep going to the next one. Luckily, I didn't have to learn the hard way, since all my stops were highly trafficked and were always requested by numerous passengers. The lady traveling on my train last night wasn't quite as lucky. 

It's pretty easy to spot when someone is getting close to their stop.  They become more alert, start gathering their things, and make their way to the closest door. I should have known something was wrong when the alert, gathered woman started making her way to the closest doors and the "request stop" sign was not on. She was three doors away from the first one, the one closest to the operator. The train stopped at her stop only because the traffic light was red, but since the lady couldn't see that, she had assumed that the train was stopping at her stop. The doors did not open and... 

All of a sudden, I was at a baseball game. This was definitely the bottom of the ninth and she needed to get to home plate to win the game. The ball is sent flying up into the air and she takes off to second base. She has no time to see what's going on. Her focus is zoomed in on the third base coach, motioning for her to keep going. She picks up speed as she comes around the third base, home plate in sight. Gathering all the energy she has left, she flies towards home plate, making it just before the ball lands in the glove of the catcher, waiting there. SHE'S SAFE! THE GAME IS OVER! HER TEAM WINS!!! 

Let's rewind. What really happened was the doors she was standing in front of didn't open, she panicked, turned to the left and ran to the next one, and when that one didn't open, she ran to the next one until she ended up at the front of the train, head to head with the operator, who kindly opened the door for her and let her off the train just in time for the traffic light to turn green. Would have been way cooler to be at a baseball game, but, hey, this was almost just as good. 

So there you have lesson #22. Simply put, when the train is traveling on street level, don't forget to request a stop or you might end up going on to the next one.