Today, since it's Friday afternoon and I'm slowly losing my motivation to keep working, I'm going to tell you a tale. No, rather a saga, of The Line. Not just any line. The Line to board the train at the Germantown train stop.
When I started taking the train on a regular basis almost 2 years ago, I decided that even though there was a stop closer mileage-wise to where I live, that going to the more heavily trafficked Germantown stop would be the wiser choice for parking and timing to get there since the highway was an option to travel, versus just back roads.
What I wasn't prepared for was how many people board the train in Germantown in the morning and how many get off in the afternoon. We're talking hundreds, each day. Those blissfully sleeping people from West Virginia or Frederick are usually woken up harshly once the train arrives in Germantown, all because the seats around them quickly fill up and well, we need to wake their butts up to get to them!
Anywho, the amazing part about the Germantown station is The Line. Now, how would you normally think people board a commuter train?
Perhaps like this?
Or even this?
Well, yes, this is normal at most Washington Metro and MARC stations I've encountered and really most mass transit in general. You find the door, and you pile on as quickly as you can.
But no. No, no. Not at Germantown. Here in the land of Maryland Deutsche-town, lies the land of civility and LINES. Yes, you read that right, people line up to get on the train at this station. They line up like they are waiting for their food at a cafeteria, or tickets to a sold-out show, or the queue at Georgetown Cupcake on a beautiful fall afternoon.
Now, I'm not sure when The Line first took effect, but the first few days I was there, I realized that I better get in line to wait for the train when I got there or promptly go to the back of the line. Now, being a seasoned rider and line-stander, I'm a dirty-look-giver if someone thinks they can just wait inside the station and waltz on out and melt into line when the train pulls up, when my bundled up rear-end has been waiting for 15-20 minutes in the freezing cold to make sure I'm ahead in line and can get a seat on the train.
My face when you try and cut in line.
Anywho, the best is when people start to physically push each other. I've only had this happen once or twice, but oh man, does it make me want to just start a chant "Fight. FIGHT. FIGHT!" really softly to see what happens. When the train pulls up, you see the guy who's NOT BEEN STANDING IN LINE, weasel his way into said line, receiving more than dirty-looks, but he also [poorly] chooses to do this in front of the person who has the cojones to PHYSICALLY and LITERALLY push them back and say, "BACK OF THE LINE!". Then they try to one up each other with the shoving and pushing to see who can get on the train first. My bet is on the seasoned-line stander, as crazy as it is, and as much as it's not an official rule, we make our own rules in Germantown.
[Sidenote: I'd also love to be near the conductor who gets the tattles of these incidents: "He pushed me!" "Well he wasn't waiting in line." Conductor responds: "There are no rules about lines." Cue the collective looks from EVERYONE who has just got on the train at Germantown, as like we're part of some Mafia...oh there are rules alright.]
Speaking of mafias, if I could find an accurate GIF to demonstrate this beauty of a situation I would. So for now, one from one of my guilty pleasures will have to suffice.
I love Andy Cohen. No one puts Andy in the corner.
Until next time, kiddos, no shoving or pushing your way into The Line. At least at the Germantown station. Or else, NO SEAT FOR YOU!
I'm troubled by this whole line phenomenon thing. It only happens at Germantown, and for as many dirty looks as the so-called cutters get, there are just as many "wtf" looks from people thinking: "This is really stupid and unnecessary, why are we lining up outside in the heat/cold? Are there free T-shirts? Ooo, I really hope there are free T-shirts!"... Sadly, there's not. There's just the promise of the 63rd open seat available, because that's where you're at in line. I'll wait my turn at the meat counter, checkout line, and bathroom, but to board a commuter train? No. Try that on the Metro and see how far it gets you... With no written policy and no conductor back-up, why continue to perpetuate this system, especially with no recourse over those who buck it. It's a cut or be cut world out there.
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