Subway love

This was my plan. When the subway opened, I would let other people be the guinea pigs. I would not ride it for the first couple of weeks, to let them work out all the bugs. If the tunnels collapsed, or the train drivers were unfamiliar enough with the tunnel traffic as to slam into another train, I would be spared.

But I gotta tell you, it was a long bunch of years I suffered through the horrendous subway construction. So on the morning the subway opened, I got up at 6 a.m. -- on a SATURDAY -- took a shower, and got to the subway at 8 so I could be one of the first to enjoy the subway experience.

Of course it wasn’t open yet.

I went to the subway headquarters and asked when it was going to open. (I realize that makes it sound like I was freakishly concerned, but the headquarters was across the street from the subway entrance I couldn’t get into. I just crossed the street.)

They were setting up chairs, balloons and firecrackers for the grand opening that would be held mid-morning. The subway would start operation sometime after that.

I went home, waited to hear the thundering noise of firecrackers, then waited a little longer to give them time to find the keys to the subway station. No one is ever in a hurry in this country, so I didn't figure there was any use getting there (again) before it really opened.

Then later that morning, I rode the subway! I was so excited. I needn’t have worried about trains slamming into each other. The trains run an annoying 9 minutes apart. (In bigger cities they run 3-5 minutes apart.)

Now I can go to town and not worry about how or when I will be able to get back to my apartment (taxis are so unpredictable, and if it rains you might as well start walking home, ‘cause you won’t find a taxi).

For the first week, I rode the subway almost every single day, for no real reason at all except that it existed. But now I just take it when I need to go somewhere. I love it!