This morning I was among a lucky few DC subway commuters to receive a bundle of safety information from a Metro representative. It included an “Emergency Guide,” published by the Washington Post several years ago, several pamphlets detailing what to do in the event of a terrorist attack on the subway, and (my favorite) a pocket-size first aid kit, complete with Band-Aids, antiseptic towelettes, and antibiotic ointment. Now I’m ready for anything!! I suppose it makes sense to raise “awareness,” but, geesh, reading the literature does remind you how screwed you’d be if you got stuck in one of those tunnels with a cloud of Sarin. Whatever you do, I guess you shouldn’t leave the train car. As the Emergency Guide warns:
Seen through the windows of a speeding train, a Metrorail tunnel is little more than a blur of blackness and lights. Outside the train, on foot, it’s a complex and treacherous place, riddled with hazards that can cause injury or instant death.
Thank goodness for my new moist towelette…
