23 February 2009

Well, that happened.

Today I dropped the book I was reading on the subway and it fell into a sleeping guy's lap, waking him up and dislodging his iPod. Why am I writing this down? As a firm believer in subway karma, I want to remember this moment when I fail to even see let alone board a train for the rest of the week (month? year?)

I didn't hurt the guy, luckily, nor did he unleash a tirade of expletives on me. Thank goodness it was only a paperback.

6 comments:

nikki said...

That would have gotten you a dramatic sigh, an extremely dirty look, or a lecture on what a terrible inconsiderate person you are if it was the D.C. Metro during rush hour (at the end of the day, not the morning). I think people on the New York subway are nicer. Or at least they've mastered the art of ignoring you. In D.C. everyone likes to let you know when you're in their way, because of the rampant exaggerated sense of self-importance.

Milissa said...

Oh that's so true about DC. "rampant exaggerated sense of self-importance" is the funniest description I've heard in reference to the DC folks. So true. Thanks Nikki, for making me laugh out loud so early in the morning.

Wormbook - Sorry you dropped your book and woke/startled a stranger. But it seems it traumatized you more than the stranger... Hope today is a better day for you :)

Ellen said...

Nikki -- I did get the dramatic sigh but I've seen (and made, let's be honest) way more dramatic sighs. I probably wasn't the most annoying person he ran into that day.

Milissa -- I haven't been on the subway yet today so so far, so good!

Amanda said...

Hahaha...I'm sometimes worried I'll do this. Actually worse, when I'm reading AND drinking coffee. Hopefully I drop the book and not the coffee!

Wade Garrett said...

On a somewhat related note, what would happen if you dropped your library book onto the floor of a subway car, or onto the platform? Obviously you'd pick it up, but would you read it again? Would you return it, and check out another copy of the same title? Would you ever put it back into your bag? Would you wash your hands every time you touched it?

Ellen said...

Even though the subway is usually somewhere between "mighty grubby" and "hasn't been cleaned since 1981," I would probably just pick it up and keep reading -- exception being if the book fell into a puddle, in which case I would hope to have a drugstore bag on hand to hold it. (Yes, non-New Yorkers, there are puddles inside stations.)

Of course this time of year I'm usually wearing gloves while reading on the subway, so that decreases the ick factor a little. But mostly I would try not to think about the germs till I could wash my hands. I fully admit the book I dropped yesterday probably had some residual cold germs on it, so: sorry again, sleeping guy.