The meaning of headphones

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but just in case, I take the train to and from work. Most of the time this arrangement really works out for me. Somedays, like today in particular, I wish to God that I drove my car.

It's hot in Boston today. Really hot. They said on the weather this morning that it was the first day of a four day, 90 degree, heat wave. I usually don't mind the heat that much on a workday because I'm stuck in the bowels of the hospital in an overly air conditioned "office", but today is a home game day for the Red Sox. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Red Sox as much as any other Bostonian, but now that I ride the green line to work, my love has been tainted. My line of the Green line stops at Fenway. On game days my train is completely packed by the time I get on (which is the second stop from the end). Imagine being crammed into a train car with rowdy red sox fans for a hour long trip into Boston. Now, imagine they are hot, sweaty and smelly. This is the hell I had to look forward to on my ride home today.

I tried to push the thought of all the smelly sox fans out of my mind while I walked to the train. I put in my headphones and turned on my iPod. I do this partially to relax and partially to make sure no one would talk to me. In the unspoken language of the train commuter headphones mean "I do this everyday and I am not interested in being your friend. I just want to get to work/home.". Somehow this NEVER works for me!! People still insist on talking to me, ignoring the fact that I am listening to music and can't hear a thing they are saying.
This exact phenomena happened today. An older couple stopped me and asked me where some street in Newton was. First of all, I don't know where anything is in Newton. Secondly, I didn't hear the street name CAUSE I HAD MY HEADPHONES ON!! They were so not happy to hear that I couldn't help them and sped off in a huff.

I'm pretty friendly most of the time, basically always really, just please don't talk to me when I am wearing my headphones. When the headphones are on I'm in musicland :)