Today as I was schlepping to and from my downtown job via Metro, I made note of three different individuals engaging in the pursuit of transit. In each instance, had my advice been solicited, I most certainly could have improved their experience. To wit:
- I was waiting in line to load my SmartCard. The guy in front of me was trying to buy a Metro farecard. At rush hour. He looked up his destination station on the chart above the machine, then selected the lower, non-rush fare. (DC people are shaking their heads now.) He put a buck eight-five on a paper card. That would have gotten him into the system, but he would have had to add fare in order to exit. And how confusing is that, fellow Washingtonians? WHAT I DIDN’T DO: Tap him on the shoulder and say hey, bud, you’ll be in for a rude surprise when you try to get out of the station! (What he didn’t do, thankfully: Accept change for a $20 bill in coins.)
- Walking down the street towards my office, there was an older lady standing on a not-so-busy corner with her arm flung up in the air, presumably in an attempt to hail a cab. I glanced around; nary a cab in sight. This was one block from a main avenue in D.C. WHAT I DIDN’T DO: Suggest she walk one block over, where her flapping arm might actually result in a taxi stopping and picking her up.
- At the day’s end, having exited the Metro station, heading towards the parking lot, an affable chap approached me, clearly heading towards the station entrance. “Excuse me, miss?” he said. “Where do I catch a train?” WHAT I SAID: “Keep following the sidewalk, you’ll see the entrance as it curves around.” WHAT I DIDN’T SAY: “Um, dude? is this your first time here? Because you should know, our fare system is very confusing, and don’t bother asking the station managers because if you can find one who will answer without rolling her eyes, you won’t be able to hear her from inside the kiosk anyway, and don’t forget to check on rush hour vs non-rush hour fare, because that matters, and hey, did you park? Because you’ll need the SmartCard to exit parking when you return, and…”
In each case, my input might have saved someone from difficulty or inconvenience or embarassment. But, no one asked. So, I kept quiet. It kinda bugged me all day, the thought of these folks, floundering around in the city’s transit system, wasting precious time trying to Figure It Out, possibly asking for advice from people who wouldn’t have been nearly as helpful as I could have been. Because, you know, I know stuff!
Had I been in their predicaments, would I have been grateful for the assist? Probably… but sometimes, I like to figure things out on my own.
What would you have done?
Filed under: city life, social norms, work | Tagged: Farecard, Metro, station manager, taxi, unsolicited advice, Washington DC, what would you do?
I’m sure I would have done what you did. Kept quiet. Though I probably would have inwardly rolled my eyes and thought “TOURONS!” (tourists + morons = tourons).
But I’m not as nice as you.
Ah, the old rush hour in DC and the metro system. Been there, did that, understand exactly what you’re saying. If it were in the morning, and I weren’t late for work, I might have helped one or more of these poor people, but that also depends on if I was in a good mood and had my usual dosage of 1,000 mg of caffeine. Otherwise, I don’t make eye contact for fear of (a) being killed or (b) killing someone else.
Now, I have to remark at your excellent use of the excellent word “affable.” I adore Jane Austen, and she loved that word too.
It’s good to learn from experience. They’re better off because of your selfish refusal to help them in their time of need.
By the way, how much do I love that you say “to wit”?