My handy little transit app said that the streetcar was supposed to arrive in six minutes, but I seem to have been waiting for at least 15, so I did not know where it was. The transit system is usually pretty reliable and I use it all the time, but every so often something goes wrong, a medical emergency, an unruly passenger, a mechanical problem or a blocked track; You never know. I was just planning to go explore a new part of the city, so I wasn’t in any real serious time crunch, but really how slow was the Transit system today?
Then just as I was about to give up and start walking I saw the streetcar coming down the road, so I decided to wait. It arrived at the stop and slowly pulled to a stop beside the shelter. The doors slid open and suddenly it seemed that everyone who was in the car spilled out onto the street; there must be some sort of special event in the neighbourhood as this is not usually a busy stop and I was the only passenger waiting to get on. Being a polite transit user, I waited patiently until everyone exited the car and I was just about to climb into the car when I smelled the most god-awful stench coming from the car. Now I knew why everyone got out and probably why the car’s arrival was so late. Something awful must have happened on that tram.
I stepped back in surprise when the cloud of purple gas oozed out of the doors and slowly spread across the street and onto the sidewalk.
Perhaps it really was a better choice to walk today.
