Back in Trains

On Sunday, just one day back and I was heading to Caballito to see Victoria, riding the A line—my favorite line because they still run the old wooden cars. It's like walking into the past, but with people talking on cell phones. OK, it's not perfect, but look—there are even smoky, flattering mirrors on these cars!


I'm immediately re-struck by the casual attitude toward public safety here. Take a look at this picture: the doors on these cars are manual--meaning you just slide them open as the train pulls into the station. But they're on both sides of the car. So this guy just slid open his doors—on the track side!—to get some fresh air as the train pulls into the station. Those are the rails between him and me--he could just walk out and fall right to the tracks. Sure, they're not electrified, but still...


It's not just the wood I like—the tiles are excellent, too.


And here's the inside of the train. I was being very inconspicuous, just snapping a pic or two, no flash. Well, I thought I was being inconspicuous. It wasn't until I got home and downloaded my pics that I saw the cute guy in the middle.



Here's an enlargement.


I guess some gestures are universal after all. It seems not everyone is thrilled I'm back in town. Bienvenido, Bruno.