Rush-hour commute + total strangers massing on Metro + Christmas caroling. A recipe for holiday cheer or total confusion?
A group is organizing a flash mob to sing carols at the Chinatown Metro station, right at the height of rush hour on Monday. Organized via Facebook and Twitter under the #MetroCarols hashtag, the event is a mash-up of social networking, performance art and holiday cheer.
The organizers are asking participants to show up on the Glenmont side of the Red Line at the Chinatown stop from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday. They frown on Santa hats and the like, asking participants to blend in before breaking out into song.
The plan is the brainchild of Jason McCool, a 35-year-old actor and jazz musician. He’s been involved in other flash mobs before. With his circle of professional musicians involved, the pitch will at least be on-tune. But even he said he isn’t certain how the transit agency will react.
Metro has weathered other flash mobbing incidents before, most notably the underwear-only commuters on No Pants Day in January. The agency tolerates them but is somewhat wary.
“Our system is public. If a group enters a station and begins singing holiday songs, we are open to that,” Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein told The Washington Examiner. “At the same time, we encourage those who may be spreading that holiday cheer to please be mindful of everyone’s safety and also to be mindful of their fellow riders who are using the system to travel.”
