Haikus capture tourists on Metro

It’s April, and that means the tourists are coming out of the woodwork, especially on Metro. Since it’s National Poetry Month, and to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival, I composed a series of haikus about the interaction between tourists and locals.

Spring on WMATA: Tourists confused by faregates. Commuters roll eyes.

Do-not-enter gate; Find one with a green arrow! Not complicated.

This is my ninth spring in Washington, and every year I get a somewhat rude awakening when the tourists suddenly appear in the last week of March. I was inspired to start the haikus last week when, getting on the Metro at Greenbelt, I encountered a tourist trying in vain to get through the faregates. Starting at the far right of the fare array, he was trying every single gate but couldn’t get through.

Of course, that’s because those are exit gates. I went up to him and showed him the do-not-enter symbol on the gate. But he just gave me a puzzled look. So I told him to “find one with a green arrow.” Hopefully he didn’t make the same mistake during the rest of his trip.

Copy the locals: Tap my card on the faregate. Alas! It’s paper.

Stick the farecard in: Pops out top slot. Gate stays closed. Take card to open!

Since I get on Metro at an end-of-line station, I frequently see faregate problems because there are so many tourists making their first attempt at getting on Metro. Some tourists are savvy enough to try and copy the regulars, tapping their cards on the SmarTrip target. But sometimes that’s not the right thing to do: like when they’ve bought a paper farecard.

It’s certainly easy to view these seemingly helpless tourists with derision and annoyance. But sometimes they bring happiness and amusement. Especially when watching what is probably a kid’s first trip on a subway.

Stand on the left, right? This train goes to the blossoms? Clueless visitors.		Greenbelt: At line’s end. She asks: “Which track to downtown?” They seem so helpless.
Eyes wide with wonder: As the tunnel lights zip past. Boy’s first subway ride!		Mouth agape, eyes wide: Awestruck by the high Weese vault; Bumps right into me.

Of course, the tension between locals and tourists stems from the delays sightseers cause commuters, generally from ignorance.

At Metro Center; Straphangers meet lost tourists. Rush hour begins.		With matching t-shirts, Groups of sixty-five or more: Use only one door.
I am still sitting- Doors have opened: wait wait wait! This is my station!		Family of five; Been sight-seeing on the Mall. We’ll take up eight seats!
Bing bing: Doors open; Sight-seers blocking the way. Why the angry glare?		Subway doors open; My stop? Should I stay or go? “Move!” “Move!” comes the cry!

For families from rural areas, riding transit for the first time can’t be easy. Especially in a strange city.

Grosvenor? Where is that?! I can’t find it on the map. Wait for “Shady Grove.”		Mount Vernon Square: Took Metro here, looking for- Prez George’s mansion.
Lines crissing, crossing: Did Jackson Pollack paint this? Decode the bus map.		They wait at the curb. On a sunny Saturday. Weekday only bus.

While tourists are mainly here to see the major landmarks and museums, I hope some of them venture out into some of the great neighborhoods in the city, too. To only see the sights on the Mall is to miss the real DC.

All the locals know. Smithsonian’s subway stop: Avoid tourist turf!

Off to see the sights! Mall, museum, Capitol. Miss the real DC.

Can you come up with any haikus to describe seeing tourists wrestling with Metro for the first time?