Ode to the Brown Line
Well-scrubbed young urban professionals
Queue politely when the train pulls to the platform
Standing back to let passengers alight, before new ones board
Then taking the first available seat
Or offering it quickly to the aged, the visibly pregnant or the infirm
Talking quietly among themselves, texting or listening to white earbuds at muted volume
Or silently reading Kindles, the paper, a magazine or a novel
Perfectly courteous and respectful citizens
Never littering, harassing or otherwise being disagreeable
It is not usually that way on the Orange, the Green, the Red, Pink or Blue Lines; their riders more bestial
Tellingly:
At the end of the work week, the Brown Liners go to places served by those other lines to have fun.
/Ode to the Brown Line, and its social symbolism
Queue politely when the train pulls to the platform
Standing back to let passengers alight, before new ones board
Then taking the first available seat
Or offering it quickly to the aged, the visibly pregnant or the infirm
Talking quietly among themselves, texting or listening to white earbuds at muted volume
Or silently reading Kindles, the paper, a magazine or a novel
Perfectly courteous and respectful citizens
Never littering, harassing or otherwise being disagreeable
It is not usually that way on the Orange, the Green, the Red, Pink or Blue Lines; their riders more bestial
Tellingly:
At the end of the work week, the Brown Liners go to places served by those other lines to have fun.
/Ode to the Brown Line, and its social symbolism