Eight Is Enough!

About a month ago (a month ago today, actually), I was riding on a subterranean locomotive into Manhattan. It was one of the flashiest of the flashy new trains, an N train with updated electronic maps and video screens and lots of room to stand. And they're clean too. Highly recommend those new trains.

As we were pulling out of Atlantic/Pacific station, the conductor or driver or whoever does things like this, started playing a service announcement. Ya know, one of those pre-recorded deep-voiced guys going: "If you see a suspicious package or activity on the platform or train, do not keep it to yourself." I ignored it, as I have trained myself to do.

Upon its conclusion, they started playing another announcement. This was the "Please do not ride on the outside of the train" one, which is definitely the funniest one. So that made me happy but minimally so.

When this one was over they played another one. I believe it was telling people not to put their bags on seats.

Then they played another one. Don't hold the doors.

And another one. And another one. And another one. And finally, another one.

They played eight announcements in a row, all long and serious. Around the fifth, I started giggling uncontrollably, imagining the conductor grinning madly at his control board with his finger hovering in the air ready to push the next one.