Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Train operator acting as Cupid and causing me unintentional awkwardness

Happy Valentine's Day! Lately, I've been riding a train with an operator who is always in a good mood it seems. I've written about her before...the one that used to sing songs to wish you a good day. She's tolerable most of the time, amusing occasionally, and annoying in some cases...but her perkiness really doesn't do any harm and can be refreshing at times.

Today, in addition to wishing everyone a happy Valentine's day, she went above and beyond her call of duty and announced this message at every other stop, "If you are single, just look around, introduce yourself, there are plenty of other single riders on the train who are looking for a Valentine to spend the evening with!"

I just happened to look up for a second after her announcement and accidentally made eye contact with a man. Oh god, I thought to myself, I hope he doesn't think I want to introduce myself to him! I am happily married, first of all, and secondly, he (sorry, I'm stereotyping here but he appears to be a developer/computer programmer with a long ponytail) is not my type at all!

As I was panicking inside, the man said, "Hello, I am RXXX."

Oh **it!!!!! What did the train operator get me into?? Everyone around me was looking to see if I'd respond. I didn't want to be rude and not reply...besides, maybe he is also happily married and thought I wanted to be introduced to him! Maybe he took my accidental eye contact with him as a sign? So, who am I to be rude?

I responded, "Hello, good morning," smiled, and looked back down to read my magazine. I wished I had my iPod on so I could pretend I didn't hear the TO's announcement. I held my magazine a little higher than usual hoping that he will just see my wedding band.

I was embarrassed, and I'm sure he wasn't comfortable either, especially with everyone else around us looking or listening. I was hoping he would get off at Downtown Oakland but of course not....he got off at Montgomery.

I smiled and nodded as he got up.

I wonder if the train operator caused anyone else unintentional awkwardness?? What an experience to remember!

9 comments:

Blogger said...

not sure what is worse, the train operator thinking that she works at match.com or the guy actually thinking that he would try it out. being in a bar is one thing - being on an overcrowded BART train is quite another. how awkward for everyone. though if i were another passenger listening in, i probably would have been amused.

Rafael said...

haha - that was funny - to me it was funny

I've been around high tech for the last 15 years and you described that computer guy to a tee. This is what I always saw at the dotcoms and such

Pony tail
Goatee
glasses
shorts
tshirt
holding a pocket pc

I'm not stereotyping either

Josh said...

I wonder if this was the same ponytailed guy who does the crazy calisthenics and punching moves on the Concord platform waiting for his train in the morning...

Gavin O'Newsom said...

That sucks, if I were you, I would have just gotten up and moved. Well, I guess its hard to move when you're seated on an already crowded train. That guy had guts for even saying Hi to you after the BART train operators announcment.

bartmusings said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
bartmusings said...

To ConcordCommuter's comment, "I wonder if this was the same ponytailed guy who does the crazy calisthenics and punching moves on the Concord platform waiting for his train in the morning..."

Whoa, this I gotta see someday. Must be quite a scene. But he probably exercises more than I do though by doing that daily.

Anonymous said...

this is exactly why we are not supposed to say anything other than BART related announcements over the PA system. if a manager would have been on the train that fool would have been in trouble.

Unknown said...

I didn't know there was such a rule imposed...that TOs can only talk about BART-related announcements over the PA. This TO, meaning no harm of course, says all sorts of things from weather forecasts, weekend plans, musical tunes with lyrics about wishing us a good day, and of course, yesterday's matchmaking announcement.

How does she get away with it?

Anonymous said...

who knows how they get away with it. you should hear the crap they say on trunk radio, no radio discipline. some passengers like that sort of banter and write in compliments to management so they are left alone because the customers come first. if enough people wrote in about how annoying it is....