Open or Closed?

 

“The metro is open” “Is it real?” “Has the long awaited moment finally arrived?” The whispers floated around on that first of December. For over 15 years people had been waiting for this momentous occasion and yet after many false start dates, doubt and questions began to creep in - would it ever be finished? What would it actually be like? 

I, too, was one of those people wondering if Dec. 1st was another false date. It wasn’t until I started to see the posts on Instagram and hear from my friends that I actually believed the time had finally come to ride the metro. Everyone was raving about how at last a new era was dawning. The videos popping up on social media showed beautiful stations and sleek train cars. Even better than that was the potential of there being less traffic on the roads as commuters began utilizing this modern, self-driving metro. 

About  a week later after downloading the metro app and checking the routes, Stephen and I decided to go with some friends on a Friday evening to see what the stir was all about. We enjoyed the cool evening air as we briskly walked the 25 min from our friend’s house to the closest station anticipating our adventure. As we approached the sleek, half-dome where we could see the entrance to the subway, something seemed off. Barriers stood in front of the doors and though there were many people walking about, no one was entering the station. A female security officer walked up to us as we curiously investigated. “It’s closed” she said. 

“Closed?!” We asked incredulously. “Yes,” she said emphatically, and continued with even more unbelievable news, “The whole metro across the city is closed.” This was just too much to believe, so rather than take her word, we crossed the street to the other side of the station. Sure enough it was also barricaded on that side. We saw another security officer and hoping for more information, approached him. He informed us that yes, the metro was currently closed but only temporarily. We had arrived at a bad time because they had closed it just an hour ago and would not open it for another couple hours. When asked what the reason was for this, he replied, “It was too busy.”

We walked away laughing. So, the metro was open, but only when it wasn’t too busy? What was the point of a metro if it closed everytime it got too busy? The guy had told us everyone was so excited that there had been masses of people filling the stations and here people don’t stand in line. I can imagine how chaotic it would have been! Yet, what did the metro owners expect after promoting it heavily and getting everyone's hopes up? We live in a city of 7 million people, and tell me they aren’t all going to want to try it out at once when it’s the latest trend going around social media! 

Since then, I have experienced the novelty of riding the newly-opened metro, walking through the modern stations and people-watching as locals try it out for the first time. I've found the staff to be very friendly and helpful because they assume that most people do not know where they are going. The cars are spacious and comfortable, divided into single (aka men), family (aka women and families), and first class sections. Most people riding still seem to be on it for the adventure but more and more I'm seeing women in scrubs peeking out from under their long robes or men in suit coats with a briefcase. The metro now runs consistently on schedule but I will always remember that first time with a smile.