Citizen Charlie

While my ideal method of transportation to and from the office would be....padding to the computer in my jammies, for now I either take the subway (the "T" for all those not residing in the land of the bean and the cod), or ride my bike.

And so, it is to the T we now turn our attention.

We who ride the T have become Citizen Charlie. On a good, high-functioning, not-counting-the-commuter-rail day, there are about a million of us. And Citizen Charlie is accustomed to:
• having packages, boxes, and bags shoved in our face if we are lucky enough to grab a seat
• learning to decipher a PA system that sounds like seven hoarse huskies barking into a wind tunnel
• using scampering mice at Park Street as a train-detection arrival system and wondering why the mice don't get smushed
• standing on the outdoor Green Line platforms in every wind and weather and realizing that we still have it better than the bus riders
• trying to explain where the name "Lechmere" comes from
• convincing confused tourists that the Government Center T stop is notthe entrance to a city-wide safety bunker
• looking on with scorn and disdain as the suburban, auto-driving masses invade our territory during Red Sox/Celtics/Bruins season and have the nerve to complain (File this one under, "Only I may complain about my family.")

And while this list is entertaining enough, it naturally brings me to the biggest, weirdest, most pressing issue of all:

Who the hell is Charlie?

This clip from YouTube features the Kingston Trio singing the song, but not including the political portion. (Clearly, the creator lives in Newton....the Green Line, commuter rail, and trees.)

So, as you drive/bike/rail/sail/fly/pad back to bed in your jammies home tonight...hum a tune, sing a song, and remember this: We are all Citizen Charlie....fightin' corruption and just trying to get where we're going.