Recent Train Experiences

The overcrowded rush-hour raisin trains have provided some new experiences recently. Almost every day I see the platform pushers prying the doors open on a train car to shove someone’s bag, foot, arm, shoe, etc. back into the train before it departs the station. It is very normal and no one thinks twice about it. Last week while I was on the platform watching my train pull in, I noticed that one of the train doors had a bag clinging to the outside of it. The train doors were closed, but there was a bag on the outside of the doors with the bag’s strap on the inside of the doors. Apparently the platform pushers missed this one and the train rider was on the inside holding onto the straps of the bag hoping it did not get snagged on something while speeding from one station to the next.

Today on the morning rush-hour commute, the local train was the most crowded I have seen it. The people were pushed inside so tightly that several around me were gasping for air. It was one of those days when the doors open and close several times allowing the pushers to shove everyone and everything inside. When the train stopped at one of the stations, the force of the people taking a full breath and standing up straight literally shoved those standing next to the door outside of it. The force was so great that one girl standing near me and holding a large duffel bag was forced onto the platform face down onto her bag. She could not move her feet and bag fast enough to counter the force of the folks behind her. The girl directly behind her was not able to move around the girl on the ground and was shoved on top of her. The people in the middle of the train could not see this event taking place and began their shoving and hustling to get off the train. Within a second or two there was a pile of people lying on the platform. Several of us jumped out of the train to help get the people up off of the platform before they got trampled. In the effort to help the folks on the platform, someone’s arm caught my bag on my shoulder and in their mad dash to make their connecting train, swung me around 180 degrees and nearly toppled me as well. I was happy to arrive at work in one piece today.