One of the cool things about Metro is that the train operators can pretty much say whatever they want over the PA when they come to different stations. Sometimes they go on a long spiel about safety or about forgetting your stuff, sometimes they sound like they're trying to be voice-over actors, sometimes they tell you all the attractions around the station, and sometimes they're just amusing. We support all this.

Overheard of the Week:

On the Red line to Silver Spring around 5:30 p.m. last Friday:

Metro operator over loudspeaker: "Welcome to the Yes We Can Be Polite to One Another Red Line Train to Silver Spring!"

After the jump, more weird Metro happenings, limos, and a new slang term.

Be polite to Overheard in D.C. also, send in your good stuff to overheardindc(at)gmail(dot)com

Photo by volcanojw

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Thank you, Vasco da Gama.

At Lambda Rising bookstore:

Customer: "Do you know where Australia is?"
Employee: "No, I mean I know it's not here."

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Voltron boyfriend. The new cool slang phrase.

Two 20-something women in a Supershuttle full of people after Thanksgiving:

Woman 1: (talking about her sister) "I mean, it's just so weird that she's married already."
Woman 2: "Yeah, right? I don't even have a boyfriend."
Woman 1: "Yeah."
Woman 2: "I mean, I have a few partial boyfriends -- does that add up to a boyfriend?"

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If only she could vote for Robert Pattinson

In front of the Barnes & Noble downtown:

A woman walks by a Twilight movie display: "Oh, a window of happiness!"
She then walks by the Obama display: "Ooh, a second window of happiness. Those are my two favorite things right now."

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Don't ask him about Cool World

On the Metro:

A drunk 20-something is getting his caricature drawn by another guy on the train, talking about some girl.

Drunk: "You ever seen Betty Boop? She's hotter than f*ing Betty Boop and she's a f*ing cartoon."

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Clever, but probably not going to work.

Thursday evening outside the HiMarket at 15th & Fuller:

A man in his late 40s is walking up the street, talking on his cellphone.

Man: "What do you mean you don't have time for a relationship? You spent two hours in the bathroom!"

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Is it against the law to ask if someone has a moment for the environment?

Orange line to West Falls Church on Monday morning

A rider is in the middle of a 10-minute harangue of another rider drinking coffee about the dangers of violating the Metro rules against eating/drinking/etc.

Rider: "...And it’s a criminal offense! When you apply for a job, you’ll have to own up to having a criminal record."
Coffee sipper: "I already have a criminal record; I work for Greenpeace."

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There's some crazy stuff down there.

Two members of the cleaning staff are walking through the office.

Woman: "You telling me you ain't never been to Filene's Basement?!"
Man: [exasperated] "Girl, I don't know Filene!"
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So, how was prom?

Saturday night at Argonne and Columbia Road in Adams Morgan:

A stretch limo is parked outside an apartment building. The back window is rolled down

A young woman's voice from the window: "Text Bill and tell him to bring down some porn."