Metra, Metra Man

After a couple months of waiting, I finally have a new Metra Man.

For those of you reading this journal in Iran, the Metra is the name of the train line I take to and from work, 10 times a week (at least). It is the most awesome train line in Chicago, easily beating the el or L or whatever it is they call their much less awesome train line which I take comparatively infrequently. I could rhapsodize over the Metra, write it adoring sonnets, and so on, but you would soon tire of my gushy love for it.

Anyway, Metra Man.

When riding the Metra, it is necessary to find yourself a regular fellow passenger to whom you can become a little bit attached. This individual will be the one you look for on the platform in the morning, the one you secretly think might just want you, and the one who you rescue in the fantasy you have about the train conveniently tumbling into the Chicago River on days you have conference calls with a company whose name rhymes with "Fizzney."

My criteria for a Metra Man are quite simple.

Excerpt from The Rules to Being Megan in Chicago 4th ed.:

VII.3.xiv. If the current Metra Man fails to appear on the regular train for a period of time of 20 business days, a new Metra Man will be appointed in his place. The Metra Man title will automatically be assigned to the first male to both A. make eye contact and B. smile at the established Megan while C. on the train or on the platform or across the street from but clearly approaching the platform.
VII.3.xv. If it is not absolutely conclusive that the Metra Man was smiling at the established Megan and not just at another passenger behind her or possibly at something playing on his iPod, he may, at the discretion of the Megan, be assigned the title of "Metra Man Candidate," and may be closely shadowed by the Megan for the following 5 business days to provide further opportunity to fulfill the Metra Man criteria. If the criteria are not fulfilled in the 5 business day period, the Metra Man Candidate title is automatically removed, and the Megan will resume her normal riding habits.

My last Metra Man, Red Coat Guy, has been gone for some time, and I do miss him a bit. He was very easy to spot -- about 5'3", bald, and he always wore a bright red jacket. Very easy to pick out of a crowd. Not hot, but certainly adorable.

So, I've been bereft for a few months. But as of Thursday, I have a new one, Black Hair but Gray Around the Temples Guy. I think of him as Black Hair Guy for short. I've wondered if he might be the one for a while now. We both approach the Metra platform from the same direction, and our walks coincide by several blocks, so you see, he'd have ample opportunity to think about making eye contact and smiling. And one day, as I was walking down Columbia to Ravenswood and he was walking up Ravenswood, he turned his head in my direction and smiled, and while there's no evidence that he was smiling at me, I like to pretend that maybe he was.

Anyway, on Thursday, December 11th while boarding the 7:51 Rogers Park Metra, the Black Hair with Gray Around the Temples Guy gestured for me to enter the train car ahead of him, while smiling and making eye contact, thereby establishing himself as the new Metra Man and guaranteeing himself a rescue if our train should happen to fall into the Chicago River. Because it might.