My New Found Love & Hate

Usually, standing in line and waiting for your B.A.R.T. train during rush hour is not fun. It is almost always chaotic from the time you enter the station until the time you reach your destination. In the morning, I always make sure I am in no rush and try to catch the train that will get me to work early. That way if I miss it, I can catch the one that will get me there on time.

On the way home, leaving San Francisco, I can take one of two trains and they are only 7-9 minutes apart. Missing one is no big deal. I casually leave the office, casually descend the stairs, and casually board the train.

I cannot imagine anything I must drop everything and go home for. (Unless Michael Jordan or James Gandolfini were on my doorstep) Of course I'd rather be at home then in the office or waiting on B.A.R.T. (Even though I do like to be home at or around 6 to watch Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) I imagine some of the Bay Area's finest are obligated to pick up or take their kid to practice, cook dinner, or just feel their time is of the utmost importance. Watching these grown individuals race down stairs and bulldoze over people has become the brightest part of my day.

As I patiently stand in line observing the Richmond or Pittsburgh Bay Point passengers board, my eyes immediately dart toward the escalator. Part of me is silently rooting for someone racing down to just trip and start a business casual domino effect. But I usually just settle for the door closing right smack dab in their face. And then there is that look. The look they give after they have to turn around is just priceless. I think some of those people get pissed at the other waiting passengers. They start to hate them because they know that their train DEFINETLY won't come until after everyone else currently waiting has. Ha ha ha Mr. or Ms., ha ha ha.

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The journey back home from work is quite different than the one going. For starters, I can let my nose hairs run wild as opposed to worrying about them sticking out in front of my supervisor.

Everyone just wants to relax and unwind. Nobody is quite home yet but they know they are close. Nobody wants to be bothered and have all the things that are associated with the office follow them on their ride home. Especially the use of the cell phone.

Sure, text messages are okay, and so is emailing on your Blackberry. (For the record, I am not big on cell phone use. I'm from the Old School. Give me a land line and the pay phones baby). But then you got your folks who can't live without their cell. You got the people who decide to continue or even BEGIN a conversation on the train. These jokers have more nerve than your mom does when it comes to finding out whether or not you have a girlfriend. (Oh, to the lengths they will go...)

I don't like using the cell phone in what I call public places: restaurants or eating a meal at home, in cars when other people are present, while watching a movie, and both at home & the theater.

But these people on B.A.R.T., oh man. They won't even really talk about things pertaining to them or the person on the other end. It will be really obvious things or the current status of the train YOU are on.
"Yeah, we are at the West Oakland Station right now. The doors just opened."
"Yea girl, this train is so full today."
"I know, I can't believe all the people got job's either. Some of them are fakin' it"

I mean I could understand if a trial was pending, or you had to perform surgery later, or your daughter didn't have her inhaler or EpiPen. But come on!

Unless its an emergency, just wait till you get off the train. Then you can discuss the current status of your bowel movements and ponder how Elizabeth Taylor still "looks like that".