On the way home tonight on BART, I walked onto the train and immediately was hit by a terrible smell. This happens occasionally. For instance, for a few weeks last summer, I avoided a specific car on the Richmond line because it reeked of fish (fun times!)
Anyway...as I turned to find a seat, I found out where the smell was coming from. A very large homeless man was slumped across two BART seats, completely passed out. His head was resting on his chest with his mouth open. Trailing down his jacket from his mouth was a line of puke. (Sorry folks, no pictures this time, my gag reflex is too weak to withstand that)
About 10 of us registered the smell and scene at the same time and immediately began pushing our way down the aisle for the farthest seat possible.
An aside: being pushy on BART is a unique thing. It's nowhere near as agressive as a mosh pit, but it sure lacks politeness. Commuting definitely brings out the rudeness in people. In just eight months, I've experienced countless duffel bags to the head, elbows to the side, and (my personal favorite) hip checks by ample-bottomed women. Now, I should take a moment to confess that I am not above such antics. Nothing annoys me more than when someone stands on the left side of the escalator (which is reserved for walkers) during peak commute times and doesn't move even when you can see and hear the train approaching. Then, inevitably, he/she will casually glance over his/her shoulder and notice the two protruding blood vessels starting to throb in my forehead. And not move. I've actually missed BART trains because of this and it took every ounce of restraint to not scream "MOVE, Numbnuts!!". As a result, I've become skilled at maneuvering through crowds and around people to get onto a train (once I'm on the train, I don't normally care where I sit or stand).
Except for tonight. I REALLY cared where I sat/stood. Thanks to my slinky skills, I totally scored a far seat.
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