Being a stay-at-home mom to my two toddlers means that, more often than not, I am safely cooped in our cozy home with them.   Once in a while, we have trips to the grocery, the clinic, or the mall.  There are also rare instances when I am required to brave the metro jungle alone.  I say “brave” because to someone who is used to being in the comfort of her own home, the outside world can be very intimidating.

Today was one such rare instance when I could empathize with commuter woes.  I rode fxs, took the train, walked along sidewalks fearful of vagabonds, and breathed the heavily polluted city air.  Here are some of the things I learned during my commute across the metro this morning:

Getting on the train requires very little physical exertion.  All you actually need to do is stand on the platform directly in front of the train doors. As soon as the train doors open, you will automatically be pushed inside the train by the commuters behind you who are all scrambling to get in the train also.

Standing inside a moving train entails balance.  Armed with basic knowledge on Newton’s laws of Motion, I was able to keep my balance by keeping my shoulders parallel to the train tracks and planting my feet, a few inches apart, firmly on the train floor.

Alighting from the train necessitates great physical force. If getting on the train was easy, getting off it was the complete opposite.  Once the train doors open, you have to push your way out like crazy to counter the throngs of commuters scrambling to get inside the train.  Those who are weak-willed are bound to be trapped inside and miss their stop.