10 minutes of doubt
so…I’m sitting on the train home right now. At least I think it is the train home…almost every afternoon I experience the commuter’s equivalent of buyer’s remorse: did I get on the right train?
Maybe buyer’s remorse is the wrong comparison. It’s not like I feel that the train on the other track is a nicer, cleaner, or even faster train. It’s not like I am unhappy with my train. I’m just not sure it’s the correct train.
Sure, I heard them call the Lowell train on track 7, but I hear them correctly? I walked to the train on track 7, checking the track number every chance I could: 7…7…7…still 7. But maybe there is a train line that sounds like “Lowell.”
The problem is that all trains leaving North Station travel a certain amount of common track, so it’s hard to gauge if it’s the right train until you get to the first stop. Even then, the first 5 stops on the Lowell line are shared by the Haverhill line…
All of this would be moot if the conductors would just announce the train over the PA system. You might get that 50% of the time.
I got on the Lowell line, on track 7. Right? Right.
I think…
Only four more stops to go…
It’s like a twisted game of commuter-Russian Roulette…
Three stops to go…
The tough thing about the self-doubt is not the taunting low self esteem but the fact that the guy in front of me asked me if this was the Lowell line. I said yes.
Only two more stops to go…
If it’s not the Lowell line, at least I’ll have a drinking buddy. I mean, after the swearing stops…