September 7th, 2010

Death on the Metro

I saw a dead body on the Metro today.  Well, I saw the feet.  They were a pale green, it really looked like a Hallowe’en costume.  But I don’t think it was.  3 policemen were standing around the body, backs to the crowd, but it wasn’t like they’d just discovered the body and were discussing it.  No, it was like they were trying to shield it from view, as much as possible.  The body was stretched out on a bench, and the police had put up a tape barrier.

For the most part, people were not standing around gawking.  They were going about their every day business of getting on and off the metro and continuing on with their every day lives.  I found that a bit surprising.  Perhaps I’m the ghoulish one, I wandered around to the head side, to see if I could get a clue as to the deceased’s former identity, but they’d spread a bit of black plastic over the body.  It looked like a garbage bag.  Perhaps it was.

It’s a bit surprising that there wasn’t a crowd of gawkers.  This was at Mustek, on the green line platfom, at about 1:15 in the afternoon.  Huge crowds of people coming through.  I guess it’s fortunate that Isabel was asleep in her stroller.  Wouldn’t want her to get traumatized or anything.

Actually, I don’t think that would have happened.  The whole scene seemed so ordinary, so banal.   It was probably a homeless person and, I must admit, I’m surprised that it doesn’t happen more often.

I wonder how long the body was lying there before somebody realized they weren’t just sleeping.  By the color of the feet, I’m guessing it was a long time.