A stranger, a train, and a relationship I can't come back from

This morning's commute produced a great number of tantalizing subjects for this blog, among them: 

• The State Police cars lined up outside the station and the police helicopter circling above when I arrived
  
• Walking into the train station behind a police officer brandishing a very large, very loaded assault rifle
  
• The delays that were produced with ANOTHER power outage along the lines, resulting in people being bused into Summit Station
  
• The fun one derives from a two-hour commute
  

But once I arrived at Penn Station, something happened that topped them all. Yes, even something more amazing than the fact that I've now reached a point of numbness from living in the NY area so that large men carrying large guns doesn't phase me in the least. 

You see, because of the problems this morning, my normally express train into the city became local, and because NJ Transit refuses to think in an efficient or helpful manner, we made four stops, even though the train was standing room only as we left Summit.  So, somewhere along the line, I - sitting in a aisle seat - ended up on the wrong side of a just-past-middle-aged woman's caboose.  The woman ended up standing right next to me ... or as would be more appropriate, above and on me.  Because for 20 minutes, her posterior was in near-constant contact with my left shoulder and arm.  This produced a level of discomfort I have not felt since my last colonoscopy, and I was at least asleep for most of that.  

Now, with her butt to me, I didn't actually see her face the entire ride.  This, unfortunately, changed when we reached Penn Station, and when I rose to collect my things and squeeze into the aisle, our eyes met for the first time, and I was left thinking: What does one say to someone after that sort of bonding experience?  In the last 20 minutes we had reached a point in our relationship that I have reached with few others.  I was completely speechless.  But she, God bless her, looked at me and grinned.  Perhaps this was the most action her beginning-to-wrinkle body had seen in some time.  And if so, I am happy to have been of help.