One of the reasons that I love living on the red line is that it tends to be much quieter than any of the lines, which is perfect for reading. And me, I enjoy reading… especially lately, since I’m trying to finish up All the King’s Men before I go see the movie.

But, sometimes there are people who invade that solace.

Common sense should tell you that if someone is reading when you sit down, you should respect that quietness, right? Especially if you’re on a bench waiting for a train and there’s plenty of other places to sit.

However, one such fellow decided that he would deny me any chance of reading while I was waiting for the train. It wasn’t that he was on the phone or anything… he was singing.

You see, it’s one thing if you’re on the phone or talking with a friend, I believe. But, to me, singing in public tells me one thing: you think you’re hot stuff and you want everyone else to believe it too, so you have the dying urge to let everyone in on your little secret and amazing voice. Who knows, I could be the next record producer, right? And, I might give someone the chance of a lifetime.

But, I have news for you… even if I was a record producer, I wouldn’t care if you were Beyonce or the Three Tenors sitting next to me on the Metro train station bench, I don’t want to hear you singing.

Singing in public like that, especially if you’re alone and you don’t have headphones in, only shows that you have no care for the feelings of others. It’s obnoxious… even if that hot stuff voice you have might have a delight to it, you’re only making others mad.

And now I’m speaking out against you Mr. Metro Singer… because of you, I lost good reading time, and you refused to notice each time I huffed. And you should know that because of you, I’m gonna break the heart of the next person sitting there because you pushed me over the edge. Because, Mr. Metro Singer, I also can sing, but I have common decency for others.

Or maybe it’s just the lingering Southern manners.