I was descending the escalator at the north end of Friendship Heights Metro at noon today. I heard drawn-out, plaintive, unearthly notes, sliding up and down a semitone. Is there a busker, some free-jazz wannabe blowing his horn, flouting Metro regulations and offending the Mazza Gallerie shoppers? No, it's only metal bending against metal, some part of the escalator mechanism wailing in the sub-freezing cold. So beautiful.

posted: 8:48:52 PM