Yelling "Fire" in a crowded T stop doesn't have the same effect.

I took inauguration day off so that I could watch the proceedings as they happened.  Since we don't have cable at our house, I headed off to a bar nearbye.  (Yes, they WERE showing it at all the libraries, but I was unsure what kind of scene that might be and I was pretty certain what it would look like at Doyle's, so I headed over there.)

As I walked down the stairs, I smelled smoke, and thought "Crazy JP!  Did somebody burn sage down here to cleanse the T on this new day of hope?!"  I saw some haze in the air, rolled my eyes, figured it MIGHT be some friction between train and rail, and continued trying to get CNN on my phone.  Eventually, I heard a man, almost shouting into the emergency call box beneath the escalators.

"... a small fire at Stonybrook station."

"Ok, sir, but you'll have to call a dispatcher."

"No, no.  I'm a passenger... on the T... and I'm reporting a FIRE here at Stonybrook station."

"Yes, sir.  I heard you, but you'll have to call the dispatcher."

At this point most of us on the platform had subtly scooted ourselves closer so that we could hear everything.  I'd looked around and realized that there was an actual fire on the line where the train to Forest Hills runs. The man had been bent over to get his mouth close to the call box, and at this, he straightened up and gave the most comically blank look I think I've ever seen.  We chuckled, and he tried again.

"Listen, I'm a PASSENGER, and I'm telling YOU that there's a FIRE at the T stop at Stonybrook station.  You WORK fo the T, I need YOU to call somebody!"

The woman started to protest but at this point the train to Oak Grove showed up and the man left the call box and boarded the train.  I also boarded the train (I ride this train everyday, and so even though I needed to go towards Forest Hills, I climbed on my usual train and rode a stop in the wrong direction.)  The passenger next to me asked "Do you smell smoke?"  "Yes." I said. "There's a fire at the Stonybrook station."  I said this calmly and looked at the man who'd been trying to do the right thing back there at the call box.  No reaction.  "Oh." Said the woman.  "Thank you for telling me."  Later, on the correct train, I had an identical conversation.  It was strange because I found the words "There's a fire at the Stonybrook T stop." terribly funny even though I really couldn't explain it.

and then, of course, I watched our nation's history change in front of us and drank a beer to celebrate.