WEEK 2- MANAGING THE METRO

The incessant, horn-like blaring can incite impatience, as I have experienced while waiting for the doors of the metro car to close so we can get on with our day- speeding closer to the destination. But the same sound can stir a small panic, as I have experienced while hurriedly walking across the platform only to be met with the automatic doors officiating my separation- and tardiness. The metro is a beautiful place, really. All worries of speeding tickets, traffic jams, and falling asleep on the wheel after a long day… gone! You’re actually, quite literally, under the traffic that goes madly on above. There’s not much of a scenic view to stare off into while riding the metro but you can glance into the sea of people that will likely surround you on your commute. It’s quite overwhelming to think about all the people who ride the metro every single day, you’re guaranteed new encounters with people from all around the world. And you’re likely to be inches away from them, a concept quite taboo in American culture. In my experience so far, it hasn’t been much of a discomfort since such invasion of personal space is completely normal for others. It’s all temporary anyways, everyone is there one minute and gone the next. I will admit, there have been a few times where it seems that certain metro cars were utterly stained with the stink of warm, body odor. That’s probably the only thing I wish I didn’t have to submit myself to when riding the metro, luckily, my brain acts fast to decrease the intense perception of such smell. Nonetheless, the metro is cornerstone to Parisian life, and now mine too!