Night Shift 3/29/07

It doesn't pay to be anti social. Generally I enjoy doing the night shift at my job for OT because I get to be alone. I can float through the work place's echoing halls with the lights dimmed in sweats and sneakers. Slurping an iced coffee while getting caught up on paper work without being interrupted by zinging phones, faxes, deliveries, and supervisors is worth a missed night's sleep. I don't have to sit through my co workers droning on about their kids, spouses, or even worse, American idol. Though I genuinely like and get along with most of my office mates often their cute kid stories start to aggravate me after 5 minutes and unless the office gossip is new, tantalizing and slightly "maury-ish" I'd rather just get my work done than talk. Also, the night shift means I don't see my regular "commute acquaintances" and I'm spared the mindless chit chat of " how are you? I'm doing well, thank you. Oh it's so nice out. Have a good day," at the coffee shop, newstand, or in the elevator. The night shift equals anonymity for me, I can breeze in and out of my daily routine unnoticed and uninterrupted.

Until today.

On my way home from the night shift, I skipped to the subway station. Instead of rehashing the day's events with a coworker for 3/4rths of my ride home on the train, I was going to get 45 minutes of blissful silence to listen to Fleetwood Mac on my player. Yup, I could flip through the pages on AM NY while "Gypsy" whirred in the background. I settled into a train car that had 4 tired and anti social passengers like me. We stretched throughout the car, as far from each other as possible, cocooned by our ear buds and newspapers. It was right at the "velvet underground" line it happened, my quintessential NY moment. A pervert sat right next me.
Of course I was annoyed that in an almost empty train he chooses to sit close to me but other than eye rolling what can I do. My $2 a ride doesn't mean I dictate seating arrangements. But then he began to fidget, which of course got my attention and then I saw it. UGHHHHHH! my night shift euphoria permanently ruined by the sight of a pervert sitting next to me on the train rubbing KY jelly on his penis. I was so shocked I didn't react for maybe 2 minutes which seemed to egg the pervert on as he began to fairly jump out of his seat. At that point I just had to move. I wish now I had yelled or called him out instead of timidly running away. The pervert slinked off the train, his vile actions unnoticed by anyone but me. I feel violated in so many ways, the comfort of being on the train is gone. I want to purell everything, dammit genitalia was exposed! I'm wary of the people who sit next me, I'll never again lose my self completely in a book or magazine while commuting, and I'll never experience that feeling of being in my own zone while out in public. Maybe it was foolish to feel so protected in the first place considering the world today but it was a sweet feeling and I miss it.