Roman Transportation: Sardines, Magic Tricks and Accordions

I’d like to share with my readers the experiences I’ve had with the public transportation in Rome.

THE METRO: 

I make it to the platform and wait for the iron worm to blast through the tunnel, blowing the suspiciously cool air into my hair.

It glides to a stop and the machine lets out a deep sigh.

The doors screech open and I glide through, to my predetermined position.

It’s 8am and rush hour. The completely over used cliché comes to mind, “These people are packed like sardines in here…” With this thought came the realization that I was about to become one of those unpleasant members of the sardine can.

We pass through a few stops and than I hear that all too familiar sound, the screechy off key accordion.

The young mismatched boy in corduroys, a striped shirt and patterned jacket, takes uneasy steps while rhythmically playing the oversized, obnoxious sounding instrument.

He sways from side to side with the unsteady rocking of the metro cars, making uncomfortable eye contact with people not willing to give him any money.

When he has finished his rendition of some unknown song he slings the heavy instrument tied to a cord around his shoulder and holds out an old beat-up McDonald’s paper cup (I’d guess it to be a large size soft drink) and shakes it from side to side. We all hear the lonely coins clanking against one another.

Once he’s finished with this particular car, he shimmies down to the next one in hopes of a better bounty.

THE NEXT ACT:

Sometimes the metro is hollow, void of an over crowded mass of people breathing the same air. These are my favorite times and some of the most entertaining.

I’m 7 stops away from reaching the familiarity of my own stop, Ponte Lungo. The warning bell pings in my ears as the doors glide back and I watch as a man walks in.

He has an army green square bag on his shoulder and he’s dressed normally. Then his voice cuts above the volume of my headphones as he makes some type of announcement. I glance at his hands and see he is holding 2 small red plastic looking balls.

The man reaches up to his mouth pops one in than swallows…WHAT THE HECK?

Than, POOF! He pulls it out of his ear. Immediately it clicks. His act? MAGIC TRCIKS.

Of course the Magic Man has an ulterior motive. Money.  I watch candidly as he does a few more tricks. I avoid eye contact for fear I’ll be his next choice for audience participation.

I’ve seen and heard many peculiar things aboard Rome’s underground beast, but the Magic Man was a new one.

Hey, if his act can set him apart from the herd than why not?

…I wonder what I’ll see tomorrow.