Slugging makes my life more interesting. Every day there's something that happens at the slug lot or in the car I get in that morning that's worth repeating to my coworker. Not to mention the patterns you begin to notice, and the habits of the drivers that you recognize and ride with often.
A couple of days ago I was waiting in line in the afternoon for a car. A van pulled up and offered to take three of us, instead of the necessary two (which is always appreciated by the sluggers). The lady in front of me, who was larger than I but not huge--let's face it, I'm tiny--turned around and just looked at me. I looked into the car to try and figure out what she was trying to telepathically get across to me since she wasn't saying a word. "Ah, you don't want to get in the back seat? Ok...I'll get in." Still, no words. I squeezed into the back seat, to discover that the seat belt didn't work and the driver's child's obviously dirty clothes were back there with me. Great. Gross and unsafe. This was already one of the worst cars I've been in slugging and I've been slugging for over a year. I felt like I was on a bus, but oh well. I started playing games on my phone, then lo and behold the driver turns up the radio and starts blasting Dolly Parton. Does that seem like an oxymoron to anyone else? I almost said out loud, "are you kidding me?!" Instead I tried to suffer through it. I don't like Dolly Parton to begin with all that much, but to have her slow, droning song blaring in my ear since I'm right next to the speaker? Not enjoyable. I obviously texted my slugger friend and coworker to tell her of the absurdity. After five minutes I could take it no more, so I put my headphones in. I had to turn them up to full volume to drown out her twang, and I could still hear her behind my Keith Urban, "Put you in a song" (currently obsessed). Quite a ride home that was.
There's one driver that I usually look forward to riding with in the morning because he plays Chris Plante's morning talk show and it's pretty much where I play political catch-up. And, bonus, he drops me off right in front of my office. I call him Republican Dude.
Another lady that I ride with always plays morning modern gospel music, and often sings along. Pick your own music but when you start to sing along it gets a little weird. I think of her as Gospel Lady.
There's another guy I occasionally ride with in the morning that I like riding with for one reason, but prefer not to for another. He plays the Kane Morning Show which is always entertaining, but he drops me off five or six blocks away from my office. It's not a bad walk, I just prefer closer when it's below freezing in the winter. He's Mr. Kane show.
I like the familiarity of slugging, even though I don't know these people's real names. (I've only had one person ask what my name is and introduce themselves to me formally.) You recognize other people that go to the same location you go to, as well as where other people go. There's Crystal City rider, who always tries to get Pentagon drivers to change their mind. Then there's the lady who always talks in the car, even if the driver doesn't want to talk. It's really amusing seeing all of the different personalities, and recognizing people outside of the slug line as fellow sluggers. It's really it's own social circle.
A couple of days ago I was waiting in line in the afternoon for a car. A van pulled up and offered to take three of us, instead of the necessary two (which is always appreciated by the sluggers). The lady in front of me, who was larger than I but not huge--let's face it, I'm tiny--turned around and just looked at me. I looked into the car to try and figure out what she was trying to telepathically get across to me since she wasn't saying a word. "Ah, you don't want to get in the back seat? Ok...I'll get in." Still, no words. I squeezed into the back seat, to discover that the seat belt didn't work and the driver's child's obviously dirty clothes were back there with me. Great. Gross and unsafe. This was already one of the worst cars I've been in slugging and I've been slugging for over a year. I felt like I was on a bus, but oh well. I started playing games on my phone, then lo and behold the driver turns up the radio and starts blasting Dolly Parton. Does that seem like an oxymoron to anyone else? I almost said out loud, "are you kidding me?!" Instead I tried to suffer through it. I don't like Dolly Parton to begin with all that much, but to have her slow, droning song blaring in my ear since I'm right next to the speaker? Not enjoyable. I obviously texted my slugger friend and coworker to tell her of the absurdity. After five minutes I could take it no more, so I put my headphones in. I had to turn them up to full volume to drown out her twang, and I could still hear her behind my Keith Urban, "Put you in a song" (currently obsessed). Quite a ride home that was.
There's one driver that I usually look forward to riding with in the morning because he plays Chris Plante's morning talk show and it's pretty much where I play political catch-up. And, bonus, he drops me off right in front of my office. I call him Republican Dude.
Another lady that I ride with always plays morning modern gospel music, and often sings along. Pick your own music but when you start to sing along it gets a little weird. I think of her as Gospel Lady.
There's another guy I occasionally ride with in the morning that I like riding with for one reason, but prefer not to for another. He plays the Kane Morning Show which is always entertaining, but he drops me off five or six blocks away from my office. It's not a bad walk, I just prefer closer when it's below freezing in the winter. He's Mr. Kane show.
I like the familiarity of slugging, even though I don't know these people's real names. (I've only had one person ask what my name is and introduce themselves to me formally.) You recognize other people that go to the same location you go to, as well as where other people go. There's Crystal City rider, who always tries to get Pentagon drivers to change their mind. Then there's the lady who always talks in the car, even if the driver doesn't want to talk. It's really amusing seeing all of the different personalities, and recognizing people outside of the slug line as fellow sluggers. It's really it's own social circle.
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