Rush hour- Rush hour in DC is a complete zoo. Overworked people race to their nearest form of transportation so they can escape the work day and go home to be with their families, friends, pets, or alcohol. Drivers on the street disregard everything they learned about driving and cause mass panic by overzealously honking their horns and swerving around cars and pedestrians so as not to impact them. If you are unlucky enough to take the metro during rush hour you are most certainly sure to be crammed in a train with some 20 more individuals than the car can hold. One is most certainly in risk of being molested- a breast on your soldier, a businessman's briefcase riding on your butt, a sketchy guys hands perilously close to places you don't want them to be. During rush hour on the metro, you're never a stranger.
Pedestrians- People in the city act like idiots. The most irksome thing an individual can do in the city is walk slowly in front of me on the sidewalk with no intent of letting me pass by even though I'm walking like 4mph faster than they are. Another irritating thing that pedestrians love to do in this city is walk in groups, side by side, on the sidewalk. They take up the entire sidewalk and no one can get around them. Argh!
Weather- Let's face it, DC weather is atrocious! The summers are usually stifling hot and humid (although this summer was surprisingly cooler). It gets ridiculously cold in the winter (I'm from South Carolina- I hate cold winters!). After the first snowfall the city of DC removes it from the roads by pushing it out of the road and up on the sidewalks. Thus, without fail, in the winter I always slip and bust my ass on the slushy mess of snow and ice that has built up on the sidewalks. Spring in DC is marked with frequent rainfall that seems to never end. The rain in DC is never gentle- it likes to pour down from the skies, drenching anyone who has forgotten to bring an umbrella with them to work, which is unfortunately a habit of mine.
Canvassers- Not a day goes by that I am not accosted outside of the metro, my work, or even Starbucks by glassy eyed young people eager to spread their word on religion, politics, or the environment. When I am unlucky enough not to have my sunglasses on I swiftly move past them, shifting my eyes to the ground to avoid eye contact. Once you make eye contact, you're fucked. Never, never make eye contact. These individuals are essentially harmless but once you give them your attention they will try to educate you on their cause while trying to convince you to sign their petition or donate money.
Clubs- With the close of Lulu's Night Club in DC my sophomore year in college, I am convinced that there are no good clubs in the city anymore. I used to frequent clubs when I was younger, as one could enter a club at 18 but not a bar. After Lulu's closed I had to succumb to going to clubs such as Platinum and Fur. These clubs were always ridiculously overcrowded. The drinks were expensive and the men leering in the shadows were all sketch. Those that had the balls to approach you would start dancing, getting all up in your space while trying to touch you. A few years ago, a girl friend and I went to Platinum by ourselves (yes, stupid move I now realize). Four incredibly creepy guys surrounded us on all sides and began dancing around our bodies. We broke through the circle, tossed our drinks and got the hell out of there. After that experience I am leery of going to more clubs in DC. What's the point? I'll take my drinks at the bar, thank you.
1 comment:
I can relate to the "don't make eye contact"...I live in India :)
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