I had a lunch meeting with a friend over in Farragut North today, so I figured a quick stop up the red line and away I’d go. I walked into the station, expecting to wait a couple minutes, but sure enough, a train was pulling into the station, just my luck! Were it only so good going home. I descended the escalator back into the station, post-meeting and bam, there are the blinking lights. Score. Train impending!

Or not.

5 minutes pass, blink, blink blink.

10 minutes pass, blink, blink.

Wait, are those people in the tunnel?

Sure enough, 3 metro employees are checking the tracks, walking up the tunnel. blink, blink, blink.

At this point, the platform is restless, the black man in the suit and tie, the clay aiken wannabe in the bad pinstriped suit, the pregnant woman on her cellphone, the glamour model leaning against the payphone, we’re all bored stiff, pissed off, and angry that we’re wasting a good 20 minutes of our lunch hour to deal with Metro’s complete and utter incompetence.

blink blink.

blink.

fucking lights blink.

The PA crackles to life, and warns us of a delay on the Red Line at Farragut North.

Great. blink. blink. We know this. blink.

Finally the train comes, packed full of frustrated workers, disheveled and angry tourons, and the clueless folks that have nothing better to do than ride the Metro at 1:45pm. Back to work.

blink.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs