Slug Tales
Doesn’t everything seem more difficult when you’re tired?
This Monday was particularly rough for that very reason: I was exhausted. Sunday night had been one of those nights, the kind where every time you look at the clock, it’s yet another hour later and you still aren’t asleep.
And next thing you know, there’s the sound of your alarm clock blaring. Time to get up!
I had a case of the Mondays, and I had it bad. As I dragged through my morning routine, I wondered how busy the day ahead would be. Maybe if it wasn’t too hectic, my boss would let me leave a bit early. The thought of being at work all day was almost painful.
Managing to leave just a few minutes later than usual, I used an app on my iPhone to check the traffic heading toward the Horner Road Commuter lot in Woodbridge and was relieved to see that it was pretty clear. Arriving in almost record time, I pulled into the lot and scoped the scene for a parking spot. Finding none, I continued toward back to the third lot, but was stunned at what I saw ahead: a long slug line going to L’Enfant Plaza!
The closer it gets to 9 a.m. when the restrictions are lifted in the HOV lanes, the lesser the chances are of getting a ride, and there were more than a few slugs waiting. I couldn’t believe it!
Pressed for time, I hurried over to the new lot on Telegraph Road. Maybe I’d find cars waiting over there, I thought.
No such luck. Disappointed, I made the trek back to Horner and got in the slug line, which hadn’t moved an inch since I had driven by minutes ago.
We all waited, with our fingers crossed each time we saw a car slowing down before the slug line, but to no avail. What was going on this morning?! One by one, slugs began to drop out of the line. One went to check the line for the Pentagon, further up the lot. A couple left without a word, and one more gave up and went to wait for the Metro Direct bus. With only a few minutes left until 9 a.m., there were still a few of us left.
Finally, a gentleman stopped by the line and rolled his window, saying that he could drop off at the Woodley Park Metro Station. Most likely picturing Woodley Park along the red line, and counting the number of stops and the hassle of switching stations, the slugs ahead of me reluctantly took him up on the ride. Meanwhile, I wondered if anyone else would stop.
By 9:15 a.m., the OmniRide Metro Direct arrived, and I wondered if we should cut our losses and take the bus.
“That’s a long Metro ride though,” said the other guy waiting with me. “Don’t worry, I’ve gotten picked up later than this,” he assured me.
By 9:30 a.m., I was worried, and apparently, so was he. I wondered if not getting on that bus was a mistake. That’s when another car stopped, and the driver asked where we were going. He agreed to take us to Pentagon City, and that was good enough for us. I was late, but at least I had a ride.
When the clock struck five that afternoon, I couldn’t believe I had lasted all day. I wrapped up my work and was walking out the door a few minutes later, but was shocked at the sight ahead of me – the slug line going back to Horner was longer than I’d ever seen before!
Quickly, I rushed to the back of the line. As more slugs filed behind me, I could hear the anxious chatter about the length of the slow-moving line, and whether or not we’d get a ride. As the clock ticked closer to 6 p.m., when the HOV restrictions are lifted for the evening, I couldn’t believe I might end up in the same predicament I’d been in that morning. Meanwhile, the slug line moved forward at a snail’s pace.
Finally, I was next in line and another driver arrived, even taking three of us into his car. With only a few minutes to spare until 6 p.m., I was relieved, even though it meant sitting in quite a bit of traffic. Oh, well – the long ride just meant more time for my power nap!
Monday was definitely tough, but luckily, I made it through. With such a difficult start to my week, I could have looked at it as a bad sign. Instead, I told myself, it could only get better from here!
