This may be quite odd, but I actually enjoy taking the last
metro home. There are a lot of
interesting people on the metro at 2am.
Not only that, but I enjoy it because it is one of the few moments and
places that Paris drops all pretension.
During the day, no one talks on the metro; you get on, you
try to find a seat, you stare at your feet. Perhaps there are a few “pardons,”
but other than that no one looks at you and no one speaks. Everyone has
somewhere important to be, they have no time to smile. The only people talking
loudly and walking slowly are the tourists. Oh those Americans. For shame. And you most definitely do not eat on the metro. Paris is much too classy for
that kind of behavior. I ate a pain au chocolat once time after class, and I could feel judgment with each bite.
At night, all those unspoken rules go out the window. People sit or stand in groups, they
talk loudly, laugh, and sometimes drink on the metro. They leisurely get off
the metro attempting to keep their balance, and turn around a few times to find
their exit, without purpose or plan. Oh and the women and their fashion. Classy
women with their dresses and tights. Younger students with their black skirts
and boots. Models with their high heels and skinny jeans. Oh and we can’t
forget the physical displays of affection. All the time. Disgusting yet
annoyingly adorable.
Almost everyone getting on at that time of night is either
slightly tipsy or drunk. Prime people watching time. I saw a guy down a burger
the other night without a care. I mean he was really enjoying that burger. It
is not uncommon to see friends passing a bottle of wine between stops or
blasting rap music to get ready for their next party. One of my favorite
times was when a group of musicians came on and played Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and the really drunk people on the metro started
singing along.
To be honest, going out in such a big city late at night is
an entirely new concept for me. So many people heading to different places in
the middle of the night, most of them seemingly happy. It is such a relief to
get a break from the deadpan expressions that define people on the metro. I
really do think if everyone were constantly tipsy, the world would be a better
place :)
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