DC Commuters Play Hopscotch for Rail Safety

I bet subway stations are among the most bountiful wellsprings of suicidal feelings. They are generally ugly, reeking of piss and bad food, and we get stuck at some such place for longer than we'd like, contemplating the person and/or creative career we failed to pursue.

No wonder people fling themselves into the tracks.

Exit10's "Life is Fun" campaign for Washington, DC METRO gives commuters games like hopscotch and I Spy to pass the time. The message: "Life is fun. Keep on living. Use caution around the tracks."

The few times I have seen rail-related accidents, they involved people trying to throw themselves in front of trains. So while I'm not convinced that playground diversions will distract the genuinely-bent, maybe the campaign will do a good job of keeping careless iPod users from wandering where they shouldn't and falling facedown on the third rail.

"Life is Fun" launches Thursday at Farragut West and McPherson Square stations. Hopscotch and other games will be on platforms and rail cars. Riders will also get handheld games to keep them busy during less interactive moments in transit.