A FUNNY THING HAPPENED
End of workday and I left work as I normally do, contemplating what if any stops I should make before heading home. I told myself I didn't need distractions and unwarranted spending so I should head home and only home. If I made it home in good time, I could even run to the gym (just maybe). I considered my usual route, but it involved the trains that had messed me up in the morning, so I decided an alternate route was warranted. Grand Central I thought to myself, that's how I'm getting home today. It's funny cos when the train approached the station, for a split second, I considered a last minute detour, but I convinced myself, no Not today...Home it is.
Well, I live on a Local stop, but when the Express train pulled in, I decided I absolutely needed to get out of the stifling heat in the station and would be better served by making some progress and switching to the local later. And that's where I messed up.
I got on that train and didn't get off till 3 hours later.
Yup, my first ever stranded in a subway between stations on packed train, standing with overloaded (do I really need everything in this) bag. Now, remember I was determined to be in a good mood and anyone who knows me, knows I don't have one patient bone in my body, but I kept my cool. Especially that first hour. I smiled at those who moaned, I ignored my aching feet, I laughed with those who tried to find the funny in an unfunny situation. Some were nice enough to start playing musical chairs, switching places with those who had been standing too long. Somehow no one offered to switch places with me, maybe I didn't look miserable enough.
At the beginning of hour 2, people really began to get restless. Apparently, there was a problem with the emergency brakes, and they couldn't figure it out. MTA mechanics came on board with no luck, each time they tried to restart train, it jerked horribly. Finally, an announcement: we would be getting a rescue train and we would have to evacuate. I've never done this before and I had a single concern: Please Lord, I hope we don't have to walk through the tunnel to get to the other train, cos there's some massive rats that live there, and I had open toed sandals on and I could just picture one of those things jumping on my feet. Sheer panic- I tell ya. Luckily, a lady with a little more sense than I, explained that they would hook up a new train either to front or back of our train and we would move over.
Another and final announcement: there would be cops on the new train and with that we received little to no additional announcements. While normally the mention of cops in a tough situation would bring some relief, this announcement led some guy on the train to start uttering "terrorism, bombs and some other nonsense. All this in the presence of what appeared to be 2 of his kids. At this point we're approaching hour 3, we have been moved and packed into the last few cars of the new train and its just a waiting game. Dude with the ideas wouldn't stop talking. A young lady seated next to me started panicking and was close to tears. Many others tried to ignore him and crack jokes but I think he got to some. I turned to her and told her don't worry hon, he's pissing me off too and I really want to just smack him...but I'm a lady. But thing is, there's something about being stuck in a train underground, minimal communication, no working cell that really feels a little anxious.
As we got to the 3rd hour, we finally pulled back into the station we all left 3 hours ago, welcomed by empty platforms and several NYPD officers. They announced that a new empty train was arriving and was ready to take us back to our original destinations. More than half the people exited the station as did I. I was done with the train, at least for today, and so was the young lady who had been overly stressed. We realized we were headed in the exact same direction and decided to split the ride.
Now here's were my story should end. After all, we're off the train...fresh air, what more can happen?
We hailed a cab and actually got one pretty quick. Not 1 minute into the drive, I realize that our driver is enjoying a full on meal, a platter of rice and chicken with a fork as he drives. So I calmly told him that it made me uncomfortable, safety wise for him to eat and drive. Well, I got a yelling for that, it was Ramadan, he was starving and he had to eat. I asked why not go off duty...well he also had 4 kids to feed and couldn't stop and if we didn't like it we might as well get out...so yeah we got kicked out the cab.
Ok, no biggie, moving on...my young friend quickly got our second cab, we got in and this time, he barely made it down the block when he told us his credit card machine wasn't working and we better have cash. As luck would have it, we both had limited cash on hand, so out we went again.
Now we're just shaking our heads, we're still maybe 2 blocks from where we left. We find a 3rd cab. We get in...I ask does your credit card machine work. he says..sure, if your card works, my machine works. We're smiling, finally.....too soon. I kid you not, he must have moved 5 feet when the car just went EEEERRRRKKKKK. His engine died....he couldn't start the car, I think we killed his cab. At this point, my new friend and I just burst out laughing, one of those deep can't stop laughing....this was beyond ridiculous, no one would believe us. Stalled trains and 3 cabs and we still can't get home.
We try again, arms stretched, hail another cab. I get in, see his credit card machine blinking error. I ask if it works, he doesn't respond and I say to myself...well if it doesn't that's none of my business, I'm getting home. And home we finally did.
All in all not a bad Monday y'all.