the mta brings people together ...

... in their mutual mta-directed ire.

so rare is it for an organization to take such a leading role in bringing new yorkers of all stripes together daily to share their mutual hatred of said organization. the mta goes the distance in creating frustration, anxiety, disapproval, approbation, scorn, etc. to unite new yorkers.

this morning, i was waiting at franklin ave for the 4/5. a 4/5 arrives and people file on. there's no way i can fit on the train, so i wait for the next one. i can see that there's one behind the full train, so i'm anticipating a sweet 20 minute ride into the city in my air-conditioned chariot. but the 4 on the platform won't move. people are crammed in like sardines. and probably smell just as bad.

of course there is no explanation of the hold-up. of course the conducter doesn't tell people when (or IF) the train will ever move again. the doors remain open and people remain crammed. on the other side of the platform a manhattan-bound 2 train comes into the station. a bunch of people get out and wait for the next 4/5. the 2 train speeds off - giving anyone who wanted to get on a nano-second to do so. last time i checked no one on the platform was carl lewis, so no one makes it onto the train.

we're still waiting for this 4 train to shove off. no messages, nothing. no one wants to be the fool who squeezes his or her way out of the train, only to see the doors close and the train speed off. so everyone remains on the train waiting. note: in the meantime i have lost 25 pounds of water weight sweating on the platform. humidity 1; deodorant 0.

another train comes by - a 3 train - on the other side of the platform. finally, people get out of the 4 train and run over to the 3. i'm one of the people who squeezes onto the 3. just as the 3 is leaving (doors closed, it's moving down the track), the conductor of the 4 makes the announcement that the 4 train is out of service. oh goody. people shuffle off the 4 train and watch the 3 (that i'm on, thankfully) rumble out of the station.

the mta sucks ass.

the 3 train is abuzz with complaints about the mta. soon, it's an mta-complain-a-thon. i'm heartily participating. soon, i've got a gang of ladies around me in my circle of complaint. it's awesome. never have i let off so much mta steam in such a fun way! hooray. when wall street arrives, i get up to leave. all my new friends wish me a great day. what a nice start to the day. ordinarily, i'd have had my nose in a book and no consciousness.

thank you mta.