Tuesday, October 19, 2004

6:28AM collapse

This morning on the subway, I was witness to another collapse (read about the first one, a seizure, here). Trundling along from Nakseongdae Station to Kangnam Station on subway Line 2, I saw a forty-something gentleman in front of me walk toward the subway doors as if to exit. His knees suddenly folded, and he fell face-first to the floor of the subway car. Something didn't seem right about the way he fell, though, so I simply stared at him and waited.* A young guy standing right next to the fallen gentleman bent over and began trying to tap/nudge him awake. As I watched, I saw the gent open up one eye and peek. Then he opened up his other eye, righted himself without help, and stepped out of the subway. The doors closed. Before we pulled away, I saw he'd collapsed again on the subway platform-- but as before, he'd collapsed into a rather comfortable position, the way an actor might feign death on the stage. I suspect I was witnessing a cry for attention.

The guy's acting was worthy of Shatner. No Olivier, he.




*One thing that's been draining away during my time here is any do-gooder impulse I might have had. I don't say this proudly; I note it with some sadness.

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