Train Of Consequences

Trains, like most modes of business-focused transportation, rely on schedules and promptness to survive. They depart at set times, make scheduled stops, and arrive at their destinations within pre-determined windows.

Most of those who are impacted by these transportation models adjust their schedules in certain ways to align their schedules as needed. If you need to take a certain bus, or train, or trolley, then you plan accordingly to be at the right spot at the right time.

There are those of us who also adjust our schedules, but for the opposite reason; we do not want to meet up with the aforementioned devices, we want to avoid them. We want to avoid having to put our routines on hold while we wait for the offending mechanism to move along.

And so it was this morning. I was running a bit late, which meant that the ordinary route I would take, which crosses over a set of train tracks, would be ill-advised on this day. Those tracks were employed by a certain freight train which always arrived at that specific intersection between 7:05 and 7:11 each morning. The resulting traffic backup which accompanied said crossing, would set me back even further.

Ahh, but there are side roads which one can take. Side roads which are prior to the aforementioned intersection, and which circumvent said intersection. And while they, too, are bisected by the very same set of train tracks, they are far enough away that, given the correctly calculated arrival time, no locotmotive interference would be encountered.

Glancing at my clock, I was confident that taking the side roads was the way to go. That, in doing so, I would glide easily across the tracks in the wake of this morning's freight transportation as it ambled on ahead, causing delays and aggravation for those that did not follow me onto the alternate route.

Signaling my intentions, I cut hard to the right and down the first of the side streets which would be my salvation this morning. Checking my side mirror, I saw that not a single other commuter followed my lead. Ha, Fools! You will rue your decision shortly!

I continued on my chosen path with glee and abandon. Some lefts, some rights, and I would soon be safely across the parallel iron snakes which lay in wait.

Alas, as I rounded a corner and came in sight of the crossing, I found that rules, schedules and timeliness had been discarded this morning, for there was the wall of steel cylinders and rectangles lumbering ever so slowly across my path. It was running far, far late today!

Easing down through the gears, I came to a stop - regretfully, and humbly. My meticulous plan had been thwarted.  Where is Order?  Where is Reason?

Chaos, you win this round.