You Know You’re A DC Metro Rider When…

Public transportation. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Dirty. Convenient. Slow. Confusing. Fun. Cheap. Those are the first words that come to mind for me! Four years ago, I moved to D.C. from Tallahassee, Florida (Go Noles!) and got to experience public transportation for the first time. Within my first six months, I hopped on the wrong train or went the wrong direction at least a dozen times. Fast forward to present day, it’s taken a bit of time, but I feel that I can honestly say I’ve learned about all I can from the metro. From the good days of metro to the bad days, you know you’re a DC metro rider when…

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1. You’ve had to make the split second decision:

“Am I going to run and catch that train or wait 5-10 minutes until the next one arrives?” 50/50 on which you choose.

2. You’ve laughed out loud in the train (or on the platform) because you’re listening to a funny podcast.

Shout out to Judge John Hodgman for my most recent awkward laughs in public!

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3. You’ve searched: “Is the metro on fire?”

Wait you haven’t?! Well, then you must have heard of it? If not, check it out… Both @IsMetroOnFire and https://ismetroonfire.com/ exist!

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4. If you haven’t been motion sick before, you have now!

As a pro of dealing with motion sickness… try one (or all) of these things: ride in the first car, face forward, sit down (if possible), drink water, don’t read, do listen to music or a podcast, and have ginger candy or saltines on hand. Sounds easy, right?

5. You get excited when a brand spankin’ new train pulls up.

Hello, bright lights and clean seats!

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6. Walk left, stand right!!!!

Escalator etiquette should be known by all. (I’m talking to you, tourists.)

7. You feel the pain of the never-ending Safetrack track work plan.

The Metro is shut down today??No trains from Arlington to DC this weekend? It’s going to be a two-hour commute to work from Montgomery county when it should be 45-50 minutes?! What! Fun times…

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8. You’ve had discussions with friends about how to say WMATA.

Wah-mah-tah? Double u-mah-tah? Jury’s still out on which one is correct.

9. You’ve gotten so enthralled in something you’re reading or writing that you’ve missed your metro stop…

…and didn’t notice until you’d already passed it… (like I just did writing this article, old habits die hard.)

10. You chose where you wanted to live based on the closest metro color, much less the accessibility of the metro.

“I work here and go to happy hour here, so I can live anywhere on yellow…”

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11. You’ve zoned out and hopped on the first train that arrived at the station.

Only to realize 3 stops later that you’re on the wrong color and have arrived at Arlington Cemetery. Whoops!

Whether you’ve experienced all of these metro thoughts and experiences, or just a handful… welcome to the world of public transportation! It has its pros and its cons, but I can vouch that it sure beats sitting in traffic every morning!

Happy riding, my DC metro friends!

Are you a DC metro rider?! Tag a friend who rides below!

featured image source: weheartit.com