Safety First

Today on the train...I was reminded about an incident that happened awhile back. I was taking an early train home so there were very few people in the caboose, just me, a mother, her young child, and a young man. I was sitting, a few rows behind the young man, reading when I started to hear a weird scratching noise. 


I looked to where the sound was coming from, and saw the young man crouched over towards the window. At first, I couldn't figure out what he was doing, maybe something indecent, but then I realized that he had a box cutter in his hand and he was scratching into the window. 

(tagging scratched into the wall next to my seat today. I'm probably breaking some gangsta rule by posting it)

I got a little scared because he had a weapon and because there were so few people on the train. I got off at the next stop, which of course was in a bad neighborhood. I wasn't sure if I would have been safer if I had stayed on the train. 


I was hoping there would be sheriffs at the station like there are in the morning, but there was no one in sight. For a second, I considered calling the number the stations have posted everywhere for when you see things suspicious, but since I didn't remember which caboose I had been in and hadn't really seen the young man's face, I decided against it. 


I got on the next train, sitting in a caboose connected to where the driver sits, which is what I have done every time since, just to be careful.


I really think the sheriff and police departments should have a texting system so that if you see something you don't have to call and talk out loud. I could have done that while I was still in the caboose!