Call it one of the most poignant New Yorker covers ever: A young woman reading a book on a train sees a young man on the opposite line, reading the same book. The viewer knows that, in seconds, both trains'll again be on their way, in opposite directions, leaving the potential sweethearts a little heartbroken.
The 2004 Adrian Tomine illustration highlights the possibility of finding love on the always-bustling rails, but how quickly, too, that chance for love might pass. With the spirit of expediating emotions in mind, Metro intends to play Cupid for a day -- Valentine's Day -- and see if a few of their riders can't find a little romance while moving at a goodly clip underground.
Or a lot of romance. Metro shall host a two-hour speed dating session aboard the Red Line on Friday, Feb. 14. It's a lunchtime deal, meaning 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., so you can't beg off and sigh you can't make it. You can absolutely get away from your desk for an hour, to potentially find a sweetheart, and even if you don't, you know you'll return to the office with Stories. (Capital "S" very much required there.)
There are a few to-knows. You'll need to register and get a wristband, and you must make for the "LAST car of the train heading towards North Hollywood Station or the FIRST car headed for Union Station." Look for information tables staffed by Metro employees at the stations.
Easy. So easy. Much easier than trying to articulate your interests and goals to a cute person you've known for 90 seconds.
Oh, we josh. Why not try it? You're in, you're out, that's the nature of the speed date. And call this speed dating extra-super-speed-date-y, because you're on the move as you're on the move, from one conversation to the next. Vest-bedecked Metro staffers'll in the car, doing the Cupid thing while keeping a watchful eye.
You can do this, love-seeker and rail-rider. Metro reps say they've heard many stories of match-ups on the trains, so it can happen, and does.
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Good luck and happy riding, romantics.
