The museum exhibit ‘Metro-North at 25′ kicks off today at the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex in Grand Central, right next to the station master’s office. It runs through July 6 and admission is free.

The exhibit follows the railroad’s course from its debut on January 1, 1983, its vast overhaul, and of course the total makeover of Grand Central itself.

Perhaps most enticing about the exhibit is the peek at “Metro Man”–the community outreach creation who speaks to school children about rail safety, that’s styled after R2-D2.

Metro-North says Metro Man “has been on staff at Metro-North since 1983.” Metro Man is completely news to me. I’ve been riding Metro-North every damn day for 16 months now, and have seen neither hide nor hair of Metro Man. I keep picturing Metro-North spokesman Dan Brucker in a costume that’s half Michelin Man and half Pillsbury Doughboy.  

“Metro Man” actually comes up in Urban Dictionary:

1. metro man

A heterosexual man whose masculinity goes beyond the stereotyped masculine, thus, he is not confined to a normative definition of masculinity, defining and expressing his sexuality creatively. They are secure in their sexuality, and their sensitivity, intuition and penchant for grooming, style and fashion doesn’t make them feel any less masculine or any less heterosexual. A metro man is the image of a modern man.”

A metrosexual is a metro man.

It comes up in a Google image search too, though I get the feeling it’s a different Metro Man.

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[photo: Classicalvalues.com]