Train Pals

Since I took the train downtown Monday-Wednesday, I got a good dose of train culture.

You wouldn't think there'd be a sub-culture of commuters on trains, would you? I was rather surprised. It makes sense, though, as humans are such creatures of habit.

I took the *early* train out of my Chicagoland home so I would arrive in Chicago early enough to easily make the 7:00 a.m. meeting start times. On my first day out in the freezing cold of the pre-dawn, shivering on the platform, I noticed groups of people eagerly chatting about their weekends. Did they *not* realize it was a yucky, early Monday morning? Weirdos.

Then on Tuesday, the same groups formed. I stood closer to one of the groups and absorbed a bit of their conversation (trying to draw a little bit of body heat from the group, as it was still sub-arctic out there). Still, a little weird to me.

On Wednesday morning, one of the groups formerly welcomed me into their fold. One is a banker, one a teacher, one a student at the U of Chicago, and one an HR professional. They have been meeting on the platform since last summer. They know all about each other's lives and seem to infuse positive energy into their commuting existence. If I end up commuting downtown, I already have my own little Cheers train platform where everyone knows my name.

Just my first name. Safety is still an obsessive concern!