Happy Metro Grafitti & The Return of the Angry Asian

Happy Metro Grafitti & The Return of the Angry Asian

Thursday, September 13, 2007

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Sorry I've been absent. I stress a lot, you know. And you're probably not reading this anyway.

...Or are you?

I love "happy grafitti," like the time I found a bathroom mirror on campus that someone had used as a canvas to write, "You are already beautiful." There's a TON of grafitti on my train ride from Glenmont into the city, but most of it isn't necessarily "happy." It's all really colorful, exceptionally artistic, though...

This one is my favorite, at the Brookland stop. Sometimes when I'm having a bad morning, I look out the window and wait for it. Once I've seen it, I nap the rest of the way into Dupont.



You can't really read it, but it says, "PEARS: Shank Paris." I have nooo idea what that means... but it's pretty, bright green & silver, & it looks upbeat, right?

In other photographic news, someone familiar was on my train home the other day: The Angry Asian! As he muttered to himself & slurped on a smoothie & incessantly switched seats, I snapped this photo on the sly... & promptly moved to another traincar.

Sorry it's not very clear, but I obviously wasn't keen on getting too close to the guy.

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Public Transportation Death Threats

Public Transportation Death Threats

Thursday, August 30, 2007

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On the train ride home, I read a Zeroxed copy of "Federalism," Chapter 3 of a high school American Government book. My director gave me the book to help me brush up on basic political background as a means of preparing myself for this job, & Federalism is step one, apparently.

The guy sitting next to me begins asking me about the chapter - why I'm reading a high school textbook, etc. Instead of ignoring him, we start talking about politics, politicians, paranoia & a population full of apathy - pretty interesting, actually. Mid-conversation, I notice a well-dressed, 30-something Asian man sitting across the way, furiously banging his watch against his seat's metal bar & muttering obscenities. Distracted, I mention his apparent rage to Federalism Boy, who accidentally points his finger in the crazyman's general direction, or something else horribly inflammatory. Immediately riled up, Angry Asian immediately starts shouting, "Don't you point at me! I'll fucking kill you. Don't point at me! I will fucking kill you!"

Federalism Boy is kind of laughing, clearly unruffled - he's lived in D.C. for four years & says he's used to the nutters that roam the capital. I dare to peek at Angry Asian, both terrified & intrigued. His voice sounds warbled, somehow, like he's either vocally impaired or underwater; he's difficult to understand, but you can't exactly ask death-threateners to repeat themselves. As soon as he catches me looking at him, he begins yelling, "You too! I'll kill you, too! When we get off the train!"

Shrinking violent that I am, I begin repeating,"Oh God, oh God, oh God," over & over, so Federalism Boy asks if I want to move to another traincar. I do. We promptly book it to an emptier car, far away from Angry Asian & his killer tirade, where I decide it's safe to start laughing. Amused & out of harm's way, we recap the situation & savor our safety.

But Federalism Boy gets off at Fort Totten, & I have no idea where my death-wisher has exited, if at all. Amused as I am, I still exit my car with trepidation, confident the Angry Asian will emerge from his traincar to slit my throat as I head toward the escalator.

Clearly (& thankfully), this did not occur.

But are you noticing some sort of a theme here? Apparently kindergarten did me no good. Why haven't I learned NOT TO TALK TO STRANGERS?

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