Notes about the DC Commute

Things to know about the DC commute

1. Wear deodorant. You’re going to have your arm up a lot.
2. Find a way to keep cool, DC is really hot in the mornings and even worse when you have 300 random strangers all cooped up in a tiny metro car together.
3. Bring a book, every day.
4. Know when your stop is like 2 stops beforehand so you can get close to the door (remember, 300 random strangers) by the time your stop comes up (for me its 9, then 4)
5. Don’t take up a full row of seats for yourself, there are 300 strangers who all want to sit down, and if not all of them at least most of them do.
6. iPod, iPod, iPod. But, be sure you keep an awareness for your stops (9 and 4!)
7. Here, it is NOT inappropriate to run unlike every other time in your life outside of working out.
8. Remember your bag! I saw 2 bags left on the metro today. 2!
9. Don’t look scared tourists. We already know you don’t know how to deal with the metro, relax. if you miss your stop its only another 1-5 minutes until another car comes along.
10. Don’t stare at ugly people, you’re not too good looking yourself. (Hilarious back-story here!)

Things I learned on my DC commute

1. Shoes suck. Yea, they’re better to walk 2 miles in compared to flip flops but please. They make you So much hotter. Not cool.
2. Relax, you have a 2 mile walk in the woods. There is no reason to take it too seriously, that is unless you’re late. Then, remember, its also a walk/run/bike trail and you should do one of the latter two options.
3. Pretend like you know what you’re doing, most of the other people are. (Really though, I saw a lady double back after getting off the metro who was obviously on a morning commute she did often.)
4. Plan for unexpected delays. Be they slow metro, ungodly amount of people making you miss the first car for your transfer, or broken escalators they will be there. Also, it doesn’t hurt to be a little early to work.
5. Don’t drink on the metro, people give you dirty looks.
6. Know that your iPod is a zombie. One day it will work, one day it won’t. Take it along nonetheless, you never know when the undead will spring back to life. (Warning though: You may have to hack the old Sir to pieces with a chainsaw bayonet if he starts biting people.)
7. A morning iced coffee makes everything better, and you work within a block to two Starbucks and a Cosi!
8. Chuck is right, Rush is the music of the universe. Tom Sawyer is the BEST song to walk through downtown DC listening to! (Close second is Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap

Stay tuned for more. As the commutes accumulate under my belt I will surely have more insights into commuting in general and DC commutes especially.