• July 15, 2009 by jess
    •  
    • You Say Subway, I Say NOway!

    • I am absolutely terrified of going underground. Caves. Cellars. Wells (hello, remember baby Jessica?). Subways.

      Subways are the worst.

      The world seems in perfect order while you stand on the street looking up at the soaring sky-rises. You feel incredibly small...as if you stand on the lowest level of Earth possible.

      But no. Off to your left is a giant, gaping, black hole in the sidewalk. It spews foul smelling clouds of steam. Screeching sounds of terror escape from its depths.

      Incredibly, people actually fly down those concrete stairs completely unaffected.

      Once down into the belly of the ‘station’, the real terror begins. The air is most certainly exhaled from a hidden dragon, sickeningly hot and stagnant. The tiled walls push in on you from every angle, skewing your view into a twisted image similar to the Hall of Mirrors.

      Ordinary commuters, who looked perfectly harmless on the streets above, suddenly turn suspicious and shady...like they’re going to steal the air right out of your lungs.

      If you think I’m being slightly dramatic, just wait until something goes awry in this subterranean trap. The environment will not be your friend. And your fellow commuters will trample you on the way to out of the hellway.

      Today I’m going to meet a friend in an unfamiliar city and the most effective way for all parties involved is for me to take the {{gasp}} SUBWAY.

      Despite many years navigating large cities, I’ve managed to avoid the subway for years (London’s Chunnel being my last straw {shudder}). Therefore, knowing of today’s adventure kept me up the entire night with vivid predictions.

      So, wish me luck. And, if at about 5:30 Central time, you hear of major commotion in the Canadian transit system, feel free to ignore what may sound like the apocalypse. It’s just me ,-)

       
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  • Comments

    mandarin01 said:
    I'm claustrophobic! After reading this I had a visual of you and I stuck in a crowded elevator . . . it was not pretty!
    posted over 2 years ago
    StratPlayer said:
    When I saw the headline I thought it was subway sandwiches.
    How simple could I get?!
    Yep the "BART" tube gets me..
    posted over 2 years ago
    manuelg said:
    Wow, I got a totally different feeling from subterranean mass transit. I just feel amazed at all the different places I can go, just with a few train changes, and I love the cool air and the earthiness. You don't have the benefit of my 230 pound physicality, though. I can just lumber from place to place, underground, without fear of harassment or being crushed. I know! You need a "mech suit powered exoskeleton" like the one Sigourney Weaver used to battle the alien mother at the end of "Aliens". Then, if the subway roof collapses, you can just lift it off of your head, and effortlessly climb up to escape!
    posted over 2 years ago
    jess said:
    Definitely need the suit. At some point, I've become the Florida girl: Dressed in white frilly summer clothes and strappy, flowered sandals. The tube-rats looked at me in serious dismay (or confusion). But I survived!
    posted over 2 years ago
    manuelg said:
    I just hope my daughter's grandchildren aren't extras on the set of a real-life version of "Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome". Cheers!
    posted over 2 years ago
    silverbelle said:
    I feel very much the same way!! And the way you describe it down there... very, very right. I was in New York City this past week... you're spot on.
    posted over 2 years ago
    BonnieG said:
    Wow, I love the subways. It's one of my favorite parts of New York. I love the urban feel. I live in Tucson Arizona, the city that thinks it's a town. With miles of streets with empty desert patches between all your destinations. Lightning fast mass transit... I can only dream:)
    posted over 2 years ago

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