DC Metro part two

My head was on a swivel riding the train and reading graffiti. I am well aware that the newness of that and the riders may pass but you have to understand being locked away in Kansas with the same o same o faces even just seeing a nude woman spray painted on the side of a building is worth straining your neck for. Sure, I’ve seen both graffiti and nude women before, but have I seen a spray painted graffiti woman on the side of a building in DC? No. So, I’m getting my fill.

Its more than just the new area, I’m seeing doing and experiencing things I would not otherwise. Not even In St. Louis are there so many different and alive people. Truly, for someone who hates people, I really enjoy being around them. Just so long as they ignore me and don’t expect anything of me.

It was a weekend, Friday to be exact, not exactly sure what kind of difference that made but it was packed at certain stations. Standing room only a few times. I loved it, every bloody second. My brother hated it. It gave me permission to stand with a blank expression and listen to all the conversations taking place around me. Of course it allowed me to watch people and observe them. Often when I go to new places I find people that remind me of people I know from old cities and locations. I have yet to be reminded of anyone I know. True, I have been here a short time so I am expecting it, but with all these people…

Back in the wilderness of Kansas I would often see the same cars and people, strangers who I did not know but because I am observant would remember seeing them. Here I don’t think that will ever happen. Getting off at the China town station I was doing my usual mental note taking.

“Excuse me!” I heard yelled in an extremely agitated way. Instinctively, I knew the words were not for me. A large woman had shouted them at another smaller woman who had apparently cut her off and nicked her with a metal luggage cart that she was wheeling behind her. The smaller woman simply looked back muttered something quickly and walked away just as quickly. I felt it was to get away from the woman who had shouted at her. That was that until the bigger woman caught up to her on the escalator up to the surface.

“You need to watch where your going you hit me with that cart!”

another woman, who was walking behind the woman with the cart started speaking in the others defense. They exchanged words about how the smaller woman had not meant to hurt the bigger woman. Yet the upset woman did not want to hear anything of it.

“Excuse me am I talking to you?”
“No, but I’m with her.”
“No, I’m not talking to you, you need to mind your damn business.”
“Okay, but I’m with her.”
“I don’t care, shut the hell up!”

Everyone around can hear this conversation. Many pretend to ignore it as if they see it often, I suspect they do, but no one missed the comedy of the situation. In front of a crowd going up and down escalators they cursed and shouted at each other. The small woman who had the cart still pretended she could not hear what was going on, she did not even turn around. Everyone else gave their attention to the two fighting woman.

“Yeah, I’m calling you a bitch what are you going to do about it?”

the bigger woman yelled. They were standing right next to each other going up. A moment of silence, but the other woman’s body language spoke for her, her words were guessed before she even opened her mouth.

“Nothing, I’m not going to make a big scene of it like you are.”
“That’s right, I am making a scene she hit me and didn’t say anything, you aint gonna do nothing so you shut the hell up!”

The woman sighed and turned away and almost muttering.

“God, your such a bitch.’
“Excuse me? No, you’re the bitch I’m not even talking to you.”

At this point the woman with the cart spoke saying that she had apologized

“Well I didn’t hear you!”

The woman repeated the words of her friend about making a scene and calling the woman a bitch. By this time they had reached the surface and the two ladies did their best to quickly walk away and lose the bigger woman in the crowd.

When I reached the surface I soon realized that I had gotten off on the wrong exit and was actually in George Town. I had to walk the rest of the way to the white house. That exchange I felt, was worth the walk.