Metro Riders' Reluctant Conversation

LAST FRIDAY, there was a report of smoke on the tracks at the Farragut North station toward the end of the morning commute. To blame: a discarded newspaper that had fallen on to the tracks. That caused frustrating Red Line delays, as this writer documented. (And remember, take your newspapers to the recycling bin when you're through.) Yesterday, there were again morning delays on the Red Line — caused by an unrelated report of smoke from a short circuit on the electrified third rail. And those commuter frustrations seemed to be much worse.

Or were they? As The Post's Lena H. Sun observed, stranded commuters milling about while waiting for the situation to resolve itself began engaging in what this writer calls "reluctant conversation": chit-chat nervously exchanged to pass the time. Sometimes, these interactions can blossom into friendliness, a commuter characteristic not often seen in this buttoned-down town. As Sun writes:

Some wondered aloud about the likelihood of finding a taxicab if they got off the train.

Others commented on Washington politics. As one man in a dark overcoat read a newspaper article about the testimony of former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, a man standing next to him wearing a camel coat caught his eye, leaned in and said, "He really nailed him," referring to how Fleischer's testimony damaged Libby.

When a woman in a red ski jacket announced that she was from Texas and not used to such cold weather, the man in the camel coat turned to her and said, "Can you take Bush with you when you leave?"

"It's not our fault he was born in Texas," the woman retorted, prompting chuckles from others.

So fun times for all involved, right? Especially for those who might have experienced that and this morning's closure at Braddock Road because of a suspicious package that had been left at the station overnight. The Post's Debbi Wilgoren has more on that story.

And by the way, if you can't understand announcements from train operators during these stressful times, you can call Metro at 202-637-7000 for recorded updates.

» "Wishing for California Skies?" [Free Ride/Express]
» "Farragut North Metro Station Reopens After Fire Spurs Delays" [WaPo]
» "Suspicious Bags Cause Braddock Rd. Metro Station Closure" [WaPo]
» "Responding to Complaints, Metro Will Soon Offer Callers Timely Taped Updates About Delays" [WaPo]

Archival shot of a crowded Metro Center by Michael Lutzky/The Washington Post

Posted By Michael Grass at 3:18 PM on January 31, 2007 Tagged in Farragut North , Free Ride , News , Red Line , Transit

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