My extremely long day gets even longer thanks to yet another entertaining cast of characters on the train. Standing on the platform, already tired and annoyed from having just missed my train and watching two other trains pass by that were not going my way, I see coming toward me a gaggle of activity. Three women, a mother and 1 adult and 1 teen daughter, speaking loudly, waving wildly, stumbling slightly finally come to a stop right next to me. Oh please, please, please don't let them be getting on my train.
A train approaches the station. Rather than reading the destination on the front, they begin frantically asking people around them: where is this train going? where is this train going?!? The train stops, the doors open, I walk on.. the quickly jump on after. What other train could they possibly be getting on?
At the next stop, some seats open up. I take a seat and next thing I know I've got the mother on one of me, the apparently pregnant teen daughter on the other side of me and the adult daughter sits facing us. They are yelling at one another about what stop to get off, how they will get home from the train station, complaining that they can't all sit next to each other. No around us looks up. None of the ladies eyes seem to be able to focus.
Then it comes to this:
Teen: who is going to pick us up?
Mom: We're taking the bus
Adult & Teen (in whiny voices): the bussss
Teen then spends two minutes searching for her cell phone in her bag, giving everyone around her the play by play of all the places she hasn't found it, yet. Finally, when she gets her hands on the phone, the fun continues.
Teen (on phone): yeah, I saw the social worker.
Adult: Mommm.. I have to go to the bathroom. { eyes bugging out }
Mom: shut up.
Teen (to phone): They let me hold the baby twice! It was so great.
Adult: I mean I really have to go, Mom. How am I supossed to go if we're taking the bus?
Teen (to Mom): we can't take the bus!! No way.
Mom: we're taking the bus!
Adult: But I really have to go!
Teen slams her phone shut.
Teen: Maybe Dad will pick us up.
{editorial comment: somehow I doubt the patricarch of this clan is the type to pick someone up from the train)
Teen: {dials}
Adult: Can we go across the street to the bathroom?
Mom: what?
Teen: Dad!
Adult: I can't go in the gross train station bathroom
Teen: Come pick us up.
Adult: I mean it's sooooo.. gross.
Mom: shut up!
Mom: he'll never pick us up.
Adult: yeah, he'll never pick us up.
Teen: Mike can't pick us up, Dad! He's got a baseball game.
Mom: yup, he'll never pick us up.
Adult: never, no way
Teen: what do mean ask him to leave the game? Dad, he's IN the game. He can't leave.
Adult: Mom, I mean it, I've really got to go! {more bug eyes}
Mom: Shut up.
Adult: Really, really, really got to go. I've got to PEE Mom!! I mean I'm going to pee my pants.
Mom: {leaning over to whisper to me}: can you believe that kid is 28 years old?
{lady, that is only one of the things I can't believe here}
Teen: {slams the phone shut} I hung up on him. He says he's all set up in front of the tv.
Mom: told you he wouldn't pick us up.
Adult: She told you.
{when will this trip end?? I close my eyes and try not to hear them. When the trip mercifully ends, I spy the Adult daughter running out of the train station towards a restaurant across the street. It's hard not to laugh. }
