Practical Etiquette [Thursday, July 11, 2013, 2nd period]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Josh's class was meeting in the Danger Room, which today had been programmed to look like the Dupont Circle North Washington DC Metro station. Busy commuters in suits, groups of teenagers in matching t-shirts and tourists looking lost streamed past them as they gathered off to the side of an escalator that was out of service.

"Good morning, people," Josh said, finishing his to-go cup of coffee and tossing it into the trash can before noticing Mordin Solus if he's there, "--and others," he tacked on, blinking rapidly. "I'm Josh Lyman, that's your TA Lex Luthor," he said, pointing Lex out, "and this is practical etiquette. Today we will go from here--Dupont Circle--to Capitol Hill without killing anyone." He shook his head. "It's tougher than it looks. You'll face broken escalators, tourists who have no idea where they are going, and far too many people in a subway car with a broken air conditioning unit."

He ticked off points on his fingers. "A few rules to know: you stand on the right of the escalators--provided they're working, of course--and walk to the left. You let people off of the cars before you cram on and move to the center. You don't put your bags on a seat if there are people standing. You don't hang from the poles, nor do you use them to do pole dances. You also don't rest your butts on them--people need to hold onto them. You don't talk loudly on the cars, or play loud music, or really make eye contact if you can avoid it. You don't touch other people--again, if you can avoid it, sometimes the braking at stations can knock everyone over like bowling pins--and you can't eat or drink on the DC Metro system."

He grinned. "Right. Your assignment is to buy a ticket, go from here to Union Station and not get into any altercations with your fellow commuters. Go."

Comments

Sign in [7/11]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Politely!

Listen to the instructions!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Ask questions if you have any!

Take the Metro!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Well, each of you will have a challenge, of course. That's why Josh was using the Danger Shop. Diffuse your etiquette problem politely!

Or not. Some of these people are really obnoxious.

Alec Lightwood: Tourists have stopped at the bottom of the escalator to stare at the ceiling like they've never seen a ceiling before. You're about to be squished into them because the escalator isn't stopping.
Alex Aaron: The guy in the seat you're sharing with him is singing along to "We Didn't Start the Fire." Badly.
Alexandra Jones: The person in front of you at the ticket machine has a really wrinkly one dollar bill that isn't being accepted. They keep trying anyway.
Bay Kennish: There's a clueless person standing on the left side of the escalator while a line full of increasingly irate federal employees stack up behind her.
Emily Thorne: There's a person drinking coffee while waiting for the train to arrive. That's illegal on the DC Metro.
Jim Kirk: A teenager is swinging from the pole in the subway car, almost hitting a little old lady in the head.
Marasiah Fel: A massively pregnant woman gets onto your crowded Metro car and no one is getting out of their seat for her.
Mercy Thompson: Five tourists are holding an Incredibly Loud Conversation on the car you're in. Now everyone knows they are going to the Air & Space Musuem...which isn't on this Metro line. Do you help them out?
Mordin Solus: People are staring Very Rudely at you.
Shira: You're late for meeting the rest of the class at Union Station and the train that arrives for you is jammed full of people and the screen says the next train to arrive doesn't come for another 4 minutes. What do you do next?
Surreal SaDiablo: The woman next to you won't. stop. poking. you. with her handbag.
William Murdoch: A man and his giant wheely bag are hogging up an entire two person seat on the train. Ask him to move it.

Meet Up at Union Station!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Bitch about all of the stupid people you encountered.

But politely!

Talk to Josh or Lex!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

That's what they're here for.

OOC

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

I might still have residual Metro rage.

You can either talk about your character's challenge in narrative or ping me down here and I'll toss an NPC at you for interaction!