Developing Train Riding Legs, And Train Riding Strategy

I'm starting to develop train legs. Standing up while riding a train takes some practice to maintain balance. It's kind of like standing up in a boat, except that I have bodies pressing against me on all sides. Sometimes the train makes a sudden, sharp bank and the crowd is helpless in swaying in the opposite direction. There are handles for standing people to grab, but when people are crowded on the train, it's literally impossible to raise an arm in the air and grab a handle. It's even more impossible to hold back the force of 20-30 people pushing against you when the train turns.

I know it's going to be a crowded train when people start boarding the train backwards, raising both arms behind their head to grip the inside of the train doorjamb behind them and then use all their might to pull themselves into the train, aided by train personal on the platforms whose job it is to push them on the train from the outside.

This morning, the lady's hair in front of me 5 inches from my nose smelled of flowery creme rinse. That was a nice smell. Not too strong. The guy directly behind me smelled of garlic from last night's dinner. So, I had this intermittent wafting of garlic breathe mixed with flowery smelling creme rinse. Let's just say I'm happy I didn't have a queasy stomach this morning!

On the second morning train ride I think I've developed a strategy to get a seat for part of the journey. If I walk down the platform towards the end of the train (there may be 15-20 cars in the train), and then force my way on the train with the others as soon as the doors open, and then shuffle my way near the seats, I have a much better chance of getting a seat for part of the journey. It's kind of tricky as seated people usually read or sleep on the train. It's pretty hard to tell when someone is going to get off the train at a particular stop as they usually sit in their seat until the train stops completely and the doors open. Then, they suddenly bolt from their seat and rush through the crowded train to get out the door before it closes and the train continues on its way.

I have to be quick at the draw (or shuffle) to get a seat. I've learned that there is no mercy in racing for a seat, even when I'm standing directly in front of the person evacuating their seat. It doesn't matter if the competitor is young or old, the quicker and more aggressive person gets the seat. Older people have more guts. It's true Darwin in action. Depending on how crowded the train is, sometimes it requires only a quick shuffle to get a seat. When the train is really crowded and shuffling is impossible, it's more of a forced lean (or slight lunge) in the direction of the seat followed by a quick shuffle. It's an art. No one gets mad as everyone is playing the game with a poker face.

I'm learning a lot about train survival.

Tomorrow I am going to a couple of customer sites to view our product in action. I'll be on the train about 6 hours. Luckily, most of the riding won't be at rush hour, so I should be able to sit most of the time. I'll need to take some reading material and my MP3 player. I'll also get a nap or 2 in along the way. It will be a long day, but the naps should help.