Monday, April 21, 2008

On the El


On the El
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.
The stainless steel train car is packed with maybe 50 people headed west, away from Center City Philadelphia. All of the seats are taken, so I am standing in the crowded aisle reading with one hand gripped on a bar above me. The book is about a boy that starved to death in Alaska.

A fat woman in all Red clothing enters the train car at one end and works her way to the back door. For her to squeeze past me, I have to stick my ass in some poor seated commuters face.

The fat woman in Red is handing out printed 5x7 cards. The paper is Manila. The ink is Black. I cannot see any recognizable logos. I wonder what it is about.

The fat woman hands out 49 cards. I was not offered a card. I am the only white man in this car.

We remain divided.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You didn't sneak a peak over someone's shoulder?

Starved in Alaska.
Do you mean "Into the Wild"? I just read that book.

steakbellie said...

yeah, I'm just finishing it now. Pretty good!