When I was a little kid, I hung out at the library a lot. Across from the library was a Metra station. The Metra is the train system that connects the suburbs to the city. I'd always check out the train, wondering what kind of people rode on there. I'd ridden the "L", the Chicago subway system often as a kid with my parents. I was used to messy trains, shady characters, and keeping my valuables close to me. People who rode the "L" were inner city people, middle to low class, sometimes we'd have the occasional yuppies on there, but there really wasn't a "yuppy" area when I was a kid.

So I'd check out this Metra. These trains that stopped at a special station. What I found so fascinating with these trains was that they were double deckers. There were two levels of people who could ride on the train, and I would try to peer through the tinted green class to see how they did it. The train would stop, well dressed businessmen and women would climb out and go to their cars, their briefcases in tow. I imagined a whole bunch of rich people, drinking champagne and living the good life on the Metra. To me, anyone who lived in the suburbs was rich, they had a better life, the kids got everything they wanted and didn't have to share anything. "One day, I'll ride that Metra!" I thought to myself.

The Metra

So now I ride it all the time to get to work, since I moved to the suburbs. I totally had the wrong impression of the suburbs! Not all suburbs are rich, and the Metra isn't this amazing, wonderful first class train. It looks pretty ordinary inside. However, it IS a lot cleaner and safer than the subway. I can work on my laptop without worrying about someone punching me to steal it. But it wasn't as magical as I thought it would be...

The inside of the Metra

Also, in a weird way, I miss that musky, dank, basement-like smell of the subway stations, as well as the entertaining street performers!

Posted by Yano at March 16, 2006 07:27 PM

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