Herd mentality
This morning made me laugh. I usually don’t laugh in the morning, as I’m still recovering from waking up, but this morning I couldn’t resist.
After I woke up at what seemed to me to be the crack of dawn, I packed my suitcase, took a shower, and walked out of my house to the metro. I was on my way to the train station to go to the airport.
I was about to embark on a voyage full of newly instated TSA approved body scanners, tiny travel sized liquids in plastic baggies, sweaty fellow passengers, crying children, slow security lines (Without fail, I always pick THE slowest line.), irritated families, long faces, and overpriced gift shops. Boy, do I love flying.
Anyway, while I was at the train station, I decided to kill time by getting an iced tea at the overcrowded Starbucks. 15 minutes after giving my order, I received my drink. They fucked it up.
Ugh. This drink is terribly sweet.
I normally drink what my college friends lovingly referred to as “swamp water.” It’s an unsweetened iced tea with no water. It’s bitter. That’s the point.
Aaaanyway, I get my delayed, sickeningly sweet beverage and walk upwards platform 9, where my train was departing. As I approach the platform, I notice a giant mass of people looking concerned and confused, standing at the base of platforms 9 and 10.
What could be the matter? Why were they all waiting around?
As I got closer, I see the problem. Our train was said to be departing from track 9, whereas the screen by track 10 had our train’s information on it! Both platforms had trains stationed!
Enter mass confusion.
The funny thing to me was that everyone was:
1. Silent
2. Looking around, not at each other, but back and forth between the screens by platforms 9 & 10
3. Full of a pained expression
Then, someone at the front of the line started walking forward. Everyone else followed in clumps.
When the person in front veered right, so did the herd. When the person in front turned around, the group aped.
Hilarious. Everyone was traveling for Thanksgiving, but apparently everyone left their brains at home.
Finally, after standing around for about 7 minutes, one person loaded onto the train on track 10. Everyone else decided, good idea, I’ll do the same.
We get onto the train and hear an announcement that the train is delayed. Nice. It’s a good thing this week isn’t, oh I don’t know, THE BUSIEST TRAVEL WEEK IN ALL OF AMERICA!
Ah, the train is moving now. Maybe I’ll post more later.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
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