Riding the subway in a big city like T.O. definitely has it's ups and downs. Sometimes you run into friends, sometimes you'll give your seat up for an elderly and the majority of the time, you are faced with weird situations and crazy people. Take for example, my recent subway train experience.
A guy sat across from me on the empty train. I was reading a book. A really great book in fact, and I didn't want to be interrupted. Of course that's exactly what he does, and this is how it all unfolded:
Him: "Hey, how's it going?" (He's probably 17 yrs old and all thugged out)
Me: "Hello." (If you know what cut-eye is, then you'll know the look I was giving him.)
Him: "I noticed you were reading a book, is it any good?"
Me: "Yes." (I turn my eyes back to my book.)
Him: "What's your name?" (He's giving me a half smile, and trying to look all smooth)
Me: "I don't give my name out to strangers. Sorry." (I looked up only briefly to utter that sentence.)
Him: "I'm not a stranger, you probably know me, I go to Newtonbrook (high school???). I think I've seen you before."
Me: "Um, I'm 26."
Him: "Oh shit. Sorry." (He looks embarrassed. Then he pulls out his iPod and puts his headphones on, shifts his uncomfortable gaze to the ads up above and we ride in silence together all the way to Finch station.)
I know. Awkward.
It's alright though, because really it was better than the crazy cracked out lady that usually gets on the Bloor westbound train. She usually screams in my face. At least this guy was nice, and he had a cool skin on his iPod nano, and made me want to have one as well.
His iPod was gray with some geometric shapes, but I want a paisley one and I found this one from decalgirl.com. Next time I'll make sure to read with headphones on, maybe that's the only way to get people to get the hint.
Though, now that I think about it, I've done that before, and a man with a name tag that read Elder Nathan Carlsen still thought it was okay to interrupt me. He asked me if I was having a good day and whether I'd ever heard of a missionary.
Sigh. Maybe I should stop showering?