Running Late
by Zito Madu
As I was walking to the train yesterday morning, I saw a woman speeding into the station and down the stairs to catch the G train. She was dressed professionally, wearing black flats and a black skirt, and behind her bounced a gray backpack. I knew I wasn’t going to make that train, so I walked, but for some reason, she needed to be on that specific train to get where she wanted to be on time, and so while I was strolling to the station, she was running at almost a full sprint. If she hadn’t been wearing work clothes, I imagine she would have been even faster.
She didn’t make it. I could see her disappointment and frustration, as well as how out of breath she was when I walked past her to sit and wait for the next train that was scheduled to come in five minutes.
Beyond the impediment of her outfit, the fact that she needed to be on the G train probably made it more difficult for her. For some reason, the G train is shorter than the other trains and so when you arrive at the station late, you can’t just jump into the last car like you would with the F. You could make it there while the G is still at the station and still miss it unless you’re an Olympic level sprinter. The G train demands more from you than the other trains.
Running after public transportation is a common experience that can be both humbling and embarrassing. You can sense how much people try to avoid it at train and bus stations. They speedwalk, call out to the conductor, and ask people to move out the way, all to avoid the mounting inevitability. You have to run to catch that train or bus before it leaves.
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