(That lantern on the table once hung at the front of the very last streetcar to make the Rainier Valley run -- on January 1st, 1937. It seemed appropriate to bring it out on the first day of the new light rail.)
Relieved by volunteers at 11, headed over to the station to ride the rails with Andrew, Simon, and Logan. A little irritated by the control-freak line management protocol, whereby we had to be corralled into a holding pen on the sidewalk on MLK, released fifteen at a time, and escorted across the street to go wait on the platform for the next train.
But once we got on that train, all was forgiven. What a nice ride!
When we pulled into Westlake station, the crowd erupted in cheers. How long have we been waiting for this? Decades, it seems. We got out and wandered around downtown, feeling like tourists from the hinterlands visiting the Big City. We stopped to see a street magician perform the multiplying sponge rabbits trick... watched the fish-throwers at the Pike Place Market...
ate clam chowder in bread bowls... and indulged in balloon helmets, swords, and holsters for both boys.
As we stood waiting in the five-partition holding pen at the University Street station for our turn to file down to the platform and wait for a train (baaaa....), we had to wonder what kind of pandemonium will ensue on Monday morning when the line wranglers are gone and we're all allowed to dash straight onto the platform and fling ourselves onto the next train willy-nilly. It's gonna be chaos, friends! Especially with warriors like these two among the passengers...
We didn't see any "NO BALLOON WEAPONRY" signs, but it's early days yet!
1 comment:
chaos, my friend! chaos! you make me laugh.
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