Everyone told me but I just could not believe it. They said it would get worse and I would respond "worse, how could it get worse?" They were not lying. The rumor is that on Sunday 250,000 cars came into Santiago, returning from summer holiday. 250,000 cars. Just think how many people were actually in each of those cars and think of all the people who do not have cars that came back to town also. It is back to work and it is very clear. Traffic is awful and the metro is nothing like I have ever experienced before. I have had two bad days of public transportation and it makes me want to avoid rush hour like the black plague.

What I experienced today was a little nerve wracking. I have been in some bad car traffic jams and I know many of my readers know what that is like, but a human traffic jam is way worse. I was in no danger of physical harm and because I was expecting it I just toughed it up like all the Chileans were doing, but wow, I have never been in such a tight space with so many people before.

I headed home with Sara and Mer around 6:30pm. To get home we had to take one metro line (red line) 2 stops, get off and change lines (to the green line) and then ride one stop. Where we change lines is a major metro intersection where tons and tons of people pass through. When we got to our first location of boarding, the train that stopped was very full. There was just a wall of people at the door way and I was going to get on but the people did not move and I chickened out. So we waited for the next train and I watched other Chileans shove their way on so I did the same. It was elbow to elbow, butt to butt, face to face, full.

So we rode two stops and got off and followed the huge mass of people to the green line. When we got to the green line platform the crowd just piled behind us and when the train came, we waited until the people on the train exited and then people started cramming on. I almost did not have a choice but to go with the crowd of people who just kept boarding and boarding and boarding. I really did not think I was going to make it but the people behind me kept pushing until I got on. I was afraid the door might shut on me but then this other man got in behind me, grabbed the handle bars and pulled himself in, pushing me further into the crowd, to where it was only his body keeping me from popping out. The door closed and I just focused on staying calm and not panicking. I could not move my body and there were other bodies touching me all around. I was concerned that we might not be able to get off but we just pushed and said "permiso" and made our way off the train to freedom.

Wow. That is normal here but to me it was unbelievable. The horrible thing is that people have to do that twice a day, five days a week for a much longer ride than I had and they have no choice. I did not believe that the traffic (car and human) could get worse, but they were not lying. I just got worse.