Reader Mail Bound to Give You a Lift

It's time for another thrilling installment of Reader Mailbag!

First up: C.J. Wallington, who had this to say about my recent column on elevator etiquette and the way a strange hush falls over everyone when the doors close: "Want to crack the 'awkward silence' and have a laugh? Try to whistle when you get into a crowded elevator. We've been exposed to elevator etiquette so much that it's hard to whistle. It's completely out of the norm."

Continued C.J.: "If you really want to see something interesting, come into the elevator and face the rear, with your back to the door, so you are making eye contact. You'll see a lot of people look the other way."

And reach for the emergency phone, no doubt.

Is It Getting Hot in Here?

In another column, I joked that the new red platform lights at the Gallery Place station made me wonder if Satan rode the Metro.

"No, Satan does not ride Metro," wrote Frederick's J. Taylor. "He's not crazy, but he is evil. I believe he controls Metro, especially the Red Line. Example: As a rider you are constantly being asked to report any suspicious activity. I'm still trying to figure out how you would see any suspicious activity; the train is so crowded you can't even look down to see your feet."

Well, maybe the crowds will keep the terrorists away.

Road Rage

My little story about Metro karma -- a man who had been shoving a passenger showed up a week later with a broken arm -- prompted this bit of kommuter karma from an Ashton reader named Dick: "I was driving along one of the many two-lane roads in Montgomery County at roughly the 50 mph speed limit when a fire-engine red car came up behind and proceeded to follow at a distance of about 10 feet behind my bumper."

The motorist guy continued to tailgate, even after Dick turned onto a street where the speed limit dropped to 30.

"This went on for about a mile or so before my fire-engine red friend had had enough and, crossing a double-yellow line, passed me and speeded down the road. About three heartbeats after the thought 'Where are the police when you need them?' crossed my mind, the unmarked police car that had been the fourth car behind me roared past, flicking on his lights and siren."

Dick said he successfully fought the urge to toot his horn and wave. "Sometimes the stars align," he wrote.

The Beats Go On

I heard from a lot of reborn drummers after my column on how I've picked up the drums after years of letting them collect dust.