Jumping Train Tracks

So I am sitting on the train during the morning commute and instead of reading my book I look around noticing the Friday crowd.  The curious thing about Fridays is that the crowd is definitely different.  From Monday through Thursday you will find a lot of sleepers, sloachers and readers but on Fridays there is an air of anticipation around the train.  It’s not just in the casual dress that Friday allows but how the people frequently are not doing their usual thing.  In other words, they aren’t sleeping, slouching or reading to the same extent.  Often it’s not even the same set of folks on my regular train but I recognize them from other Fridays.  Some of the regular women are only carrying one bag instead of the usual two.  They seem to wear more makeup instead of less.  Yes, there is definitely something in the air on Friday mornings.

       Friday afternoons are also different from the rest of the week.  For one thing there seem to be less students (both college and high school) but this doesn’t mean the train is less crowded.  Au contraire.  The five o’clock whistle hasn’t blown but the workers have blown off work an hour early so we have double decker evacuees from downtown.  Great.  And while everyone may have been cheerful in the morning they seem more growly on Friday afternoons.  Why is that?  Did they get chewed out by their boss?  Do they have to work Saturday?  Are they anxious to get home to their family?  I don’t know but they are generally more unpleasant on Friday afternoons than any other day of the week which is saying a lot for the ordeal of taking public transit.

       Now this is the usual state of affairs and I have grown accustomed.  And somehow since turning 60 I feel as though my fortunes have faded because when I was 59 I almost always got a seat but now, well, now it seems that this senior gets to stand A LOT.  To the point that I have considered buying a grey wig to wear on the homeward commute.  Two things hold me back.  One is the absolute state of sweating I would be in if I had to wear something like that.  But more importantly, I know for a fact that as much as I am watching Them, I am also being watched.  If I have brown hair in the morning, I know I will be outed in the afternoon.  Can you imagine the uproar when I am unmasked?  I would almost like to do it just for the drama.

       Yes, the things a person thinks about on the train is really kind of scary.  I wonder what They are thinking about?