I had a change of job. As these things often do, it meant a different destination on our wonderful rail network. It also meant a change of trains at Central. It was like returning to an old routine, because I used to do that change & head down the North Shore line a few years back. For some reason, what I had thought a quite horrid rush to connect (as you do when you change platforms) became a simple sheep-like meander through the bowels of Central with a crowd of mostly sleepy travellers who've been doing this routine for quite some time - I even recognised some from before!
To me, though, it was all new (again). In fact, this was the third time in three years that I would be changing for the North Shore line, oddly, & each time it's been just for a few months. This would be the shortest journey, though - only as far as North Sydney. That, in itself, makes you wonder if it's worth it to get the book out again, or even take a seat.
On the way home, I feel as if the journey is so short that I've barely got time to work out what time my connecting train is. This makes that little ride from North Sydney to Central - which is easily ten minutes - seem like an insignificant addition to my "real" journey home from Central.
It's not really peaceful. It's not stressful, either. The wait time is in the range of a few minutes between trains either way in peak hour. It's just something that fills the space between leaving the office & getting on the train home. It's the equivalent of walking for ten minutes to Central (which I've also done before).
Now, if only all public transport would make you feel that degree of freedom from the concerns of the world. If you could arrive at your departure point (bus stop or station) & just know that the bus/train would always be there within a short while, would take about the same amount of time to get you where you want to go, & you were secure in the knowledge that, once the process had started, there was nothing you could do to change the outcome.
That, to me, is the best attitude for public transport. All I have to do now is extend that feeling that the Central/North Sydney run gives me into the rest of my journey.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
The Strangest Thing
I've often been an ultra-punctual, up-tight, straight-laced individual when it comes to commitments like working. With the arrival of my daughter, this had to take a slight change as work became a non-event for a few weeks, & then became something I did from home most days.
I hear you cry "No more public transport! How can we hear of Daffy's journey?"
But never fear, gentle reader, because I did go to the office to catch up with people & make sure we were all working off the same song-sheet, so to speak.
However, given the randomness of baby feeding times, I decided not to set an alarm that might disrupt my wife if she was only just going to sleep. I told the guys in the office that I would be there whenever.
I took a very relaxed approached to my morning journey.
I woke up only fifteen minutes or so after the alarm used to go off. It's still daylight early. I didn't rush out the door, pushing my wife ahead to drop me off, but drove leisurely to the station on my own, & caught a train that was really only half an hour later than usual, but far less crowded.
As it was a different train, I ended up walking to the office from a different station, which meant I could choose to walk through a park where inner-city folk strolled to their offices, walked dogs, played basketball (!), etc.
I ended up at the office only half an hour or so later than my usual stressed time - & I was still often the first one there!
I was more relaxed, less concerned about leaving in the afternoon, because I was optimising my time with the team, & generally having a very different time of it in the office.
A few small changes like that can work miracles to the day. A few experiments in travelling generally won't cost much effort.
Unless you've got strict work hours (shift work, or they won't let you in before & kick you out at a fixed time), there's nothing to stop you taking a longer walking route, turning up a train later or earlier, mixing it up a little.
You can enjoy your journey in. Stranger things have happened.
I hear you cry "No more public transport! How can we hear of Daffy's journey?"
But never fear, gentle reader, because I did go to the office to catch up with people & make sure we were all working off the same song-sheet, so to speak.
However, given the randomness of baby feeding times, I decided not to set an alarm that might disrupt my wife if she was only just going to sleep. I told the guys in the office that I would be there whenever.
I took a very relaxed approached to my morning journey.
I woke up only fifteen minutes or so after the alarm used to go off. It's still daylight early. I didn't rush out the door, pushing my wife ahead to drop me off, but drove leisurely to the station on my own, & caught a train that was really only half an hour later than usual, but far less crowded.
As it was a different train, I ended up walking to the office from a different station, which meant I could choose to walk through a park where inner-city folk strolled to their offices, walked dogs, played basketball (!), etc.
I ended up at the office only half an hour or so later than my usual stressed time - & I was still often the first one there!
I was more relaxed, less concerned about leaving in the afternoon, because I was optimising my time with the team, & generally having a very different time of it in the office.
A few small changes like that can work miracles to the day. A few experiments in travelling generally won't cost much effort.
Unless you've got strict work hours (shift work, or they won't let you in before & kick you out at a fixed time), there's nothing to stop you taking a longer walking route, turning up a train later or earlier, mixing it up a little.
You can enjoy your journey in. Stranger things have happened.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Travelling without a Guide
When I rushed onto the train yesterday afternoon, there was a feeling of "not quite school children" that I couldn't put my finger on. There wasn't a sea of uniforms, so it took me a while to work out that, from my seat, I was surrounded by a group of children & teens who belonged to a group & may well have been foreign. It's always hard to tell in Sydney, but I think they were either exchange students or else a school group on a tour. Ironically, their tour leader was a Pom.
The reason the feeling was "not quite school children" is that they weren't competing with each other. They weren't shouting, whinging, swearing, hitting each other, running up & down the carriage or in any way causing havoc. Admittedly, at one point, they were sharing music - to the point where one of them had a headphone hub that was dangling in the middle of the aisle, where three people (one in front & one behind me & one on the opposite side of the aisle) shared music. One of them was any asleep.
For all intents & purposes, they were school children, but they acted as if they were under control. I worked out who their leader was only by the fact that they occasionally asked him if he wanted to listen to something. There was also a leader who had come with them, but she didn't make her appearance felt until they got off the train - she was the last to leave, quickly checking seats for possessions left behind.
The interesting thing was the languidness with which they gathered their things to leave the train. The local (Pom) leader simply told them we were approaching the stop, & he would meet them at the door. When the train pulled in, many of them were still packing up, which is where their own leader started pushing them. The Pom stood outside, making sure that the guard understood that his group was large & slow, & he looked up at me through the train window with a bemused & apologetic look on his face.
As we pulled away from the platform, the guard made the announcement "For those who don't have a tour guide with them, the train will terminate at the next station - all out, all change."
The reason the feeling was "not quite school children" is that they weren't competing with each other. They weren't shouting, whinging, swearing, hitting each other, running up & down the carriage or in any way causing havoc. Admittedly, at one point, they were sharing music - to the point where one of them had a headphone hub that was dangling in the middle of the aisle, where three people (one in front & one behind me & one on the opposite side of the aisle) shared music. One of them was any asleep.
For all intents & purposes, they were school children, but they acted as if they were under control. I worked out who their leader was only by the fact that they occasionally asked him if he wanted to listen to something. There was also a leader who had come with them, but she didn't make her appearance felt until they got off the train - she was the last to leave, quickly checking seats for possessions left behind.
The interesting thing was the languidness with which they gathered their things to leave the train. The local (Pom) leader simply told them we were approaching the stop, & he would meet them at the door. When the train pulled in, many of them were still packing up, which is where their own leader started pushing them. The Pom stood outside, making sure that the guard understood that his group was large & slow, & he looked up at me through the train window with a bemused & apologetic look on his face.
As we pulled away from the platform, the guard made the announcement "For those who don't have a tour guide with them, the train will terminate at the next station - all out, all change."
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Political Uncertainty
In these troubled times politically, it's no surprise that people no longer know which side of a set of stairs to walk up or down. There are those who used to be strident adherents of the left or right who are drifting into the middle & finding that they have, unbeknownst to themselves, crossed the line into what was once foreign territory.
However reasonable that is within the comfort of a secret ballot, when we're talking about commuters on a railway platform, that is simply not on.
I was recently restricted to using a stick (& I resisted the urge to call it a cane, due to connotations associated therewith) due to a painful foot.
Brandishing this weapon, which is cumbersome at best, but downright dangerous to others when negotiating ticket turnstiles & the like (which are intended for the fast moving able-bodied), I approached my usual commuting haunts with some degree of trepidation & also, if I may be so bold, just a hint of glee.
As I approached the bottom of the stairs leading up to my regular platform, an unruly swarm of hurrying commuters - most destined to connect with another train on another platform, it appeared - was pressing a more demure & lonely passenger back from her attempt at the stairs.
I picked my spot in the melee & charged unheeding towards the first step, wielding my stick as someone not afraid to impart wisdom to anyone getting close enough. After a few laborious strides through the stream, out of sheer frustration, I called out "Heavens to Murgatroyd, people! Pick a side!" & hacked more aggressively as I ploughed on to my left. When I reached the top, I turned back to make sure that my fellow trout had taken advantage of the chaos I created.
"So, how many of them do you think I got?" & we shared a grin of triumph.
But, this is me - a usually able-bodied, reasonably self-reliant male of goodly proportion, a hearty voice, & a death wish (& now a weapon).
How on earth is the proverbial little old lady going to achieve such direct access to the platform - especially if she has to start the steps on the left to use the hand rail? What about the pregnant mother with a pram as well? Are such passengers expected to simply wait it out & hope for the best?
Are such second-class citizens to be ignored, along with good manners & common sense?
Public transport is a privilege, not a right. We are lucky to have it, & we should treat it as if it belongs to everyone else, not as if it belongs to us.
However reasonable that is within the comfort of a secret ballot, when we're talking about commuters on a railway platform, that is simply not on.
I was recently restricted to using a stick (& I resisted the urge to call it a cane, due to connotations associated therewith) due to a painful foot.
Brandishing this weapon, which is cumbersome at best, but downright dangerous to others when negotiating ticket turnstiles & the like (which are intended for the fast moving able-bodied), I approached my usual commuting haunts with some degree of trepidation & also, if I may be so bold, just a hint of glee.
As I approached the bottom of the stairs leading up to my regular platform, an unruly swarm of hurrying commuters - most destined to connect with another train on another platform, it appeared - was pressing a more demure & lonely passenger back from her attempt at the stairs.
I picked my spot in the melee & charged unheeding towards the first step, wielding my stick as someone not afraid to impart wisdom to anyone getting close enough. After a few laborious strides through the stream, out of sheer frustration, I called out "Heavens to Murgatroyd, people! Pick a side!" & hacked more aggressively as I ploughed on to my left. When I reached the top, I turned back to make sure that my fellow trout had taken advantage of the chaos I created.
"So, how many of them do you think I got?" & we shared a grin of triumph.
But, this is me - a usually able-bodied, reasonably self-reliant male of goodly proportion, a hearty voice, & a death wish (& now a weapon).
How on earth is the proverbial little old lady going to achieve such direct access to the platform - especially if she has to start the steps on the left to use the hand rail? What about the pregnant mother with a pram as well? Are such passengers expected to simply wait it out & hope for the best?
Are such second-class citizens to be ignored, along with good manners & common sense?
Public transport is a privilege, not a right. We are lucky to have it, & we should treat it as if it belongs to everyone else, not as if it belongs to us.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Part of the Problem
My usual travelling companion wasn't on the train this morning, so a few stops later I was joined by another lady, but one less well known to me. She sat calmly playing similar games on her electronic device in a companionable silence that I appreciated at once.
When we got closer to my station, before I even got to thinking about prematurely terminating the seminar I was listening to, she arose & headed towards the rear of the carriage, so I followed her shortly thereafter as my station approached.
However, she wasn't leaving the train - she was standing near the other doorway, so that she could be amongst the first to get off at the next stop.
This may sound like over-planning, but it is actually annoying, because she & her fellow-early-birds were in effect helping to block the stairs from people like me who were intending to get off immediately.
It's hard enough with people sitting on the stairs & milling about the doorways in general, too exhausted to move inside the carriage once they've rushed at the last minute from their inner-city residences to arrive at work with seconds to spare before they need to bundy-on.
To add to this shemozzle by intentionally blocking the doorways prematurely sounds excessive.
As one of my old friends used to say "If you're not a part of the solution, then you're a part of the problem." If there is over-crowding in the vestibule of the carriage, why join the crowd unnecessarily & get in other people's way?
I know what you're going to say - I could get up from my seat earlier & get ahead of such people, but then they'll catch on & get up even earlier, & then we'll all end up standing for the whole journey, squeezed into a space meant for turning one pram around, & that just doesn't sound like a fun trip for anyone.
I hope my usual companion comes back tomorrow...
When we got closer to my station, before I even got to thinking about prematurely terminating the seminar I was listening to, she arose & headed towards the rear of the carriage, so I followed her shortly thereafter as my station approached.
However, she wasn't leaving the train - she was standing near the other doorway, so that she could be amongst the first to get off at the next stop.
This may sound like over-planning, but it is actually annoying, because she & her fellow-early-birds were in effect helping to block the stairs from people like me who were intending to get off immediately.
It's hard enough with people sitting on the stairs & milling about the doorways in general, too exhausted to move inside the carriage once they've rushed at the last minute from their inner-city residences to arrive at work with seconds to spare before they need to bundy-on.
To add to this shemozzle by intentionally blocking the doorways prematurely sounds excessive.
As one of my old friends used to say "If you're not a part of the solution, then you're a part of the problem." If there is over-crowding in the vestibule of the carriage, why join the crowd unnecessarily & get in other people's way?
I know what you're going to say - I could get up from my seat earlier & get ahead of such people, but then they'll catch on & get up even earlier, & then we'll all end up standing for the whole journey, squeezed into a space meant for turning one pram around, & that just doesn't sound like a fun trip for anyone.
I hope my usual companion comes back tomorrow...
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Sheep Nature
I'm reasonably lucky with public transport - I can set my own working hours, so I learn how to avoid the busiest times on the trains. My home station is at the end of the line & not very popular, & my work station(s) are not as bad as some. However, things sometimes happen that expose me to the pushy-shovey-stupid-sheep nature of some commuters.
I was going home the other day when the guard announced that he could smell smoke, & they were stopping at an unexpected station to investigate. After a few minutes, we were asked to get out of the train. That's easy - you get out, you find a piece of platform to wait away from the doors, so that other people can get out behind you, right? No; apparently you mill around the door so that you can be the first person back on the train when the all-clear is given.
This was not a crowded train - I had been very comfortable on a seat of my own. I - & I am sure many others - had no fear of having to stand for any part of the journey. So, why were people standing on the platform in the same way that they would if they were waiting for a train to arrive? Habit? Have they stopped thinking for the day?
The guard went up & down the train, having a good sniff. Some people decided that, after he had passed, it was time for them to get back on board. He chased them out again on his next pass down the train. Again - what were they thinking? Why were they so eager?
In the end, that train left without us. It was one of those rare days when I ended up catching four trains instead of one - the guard on the next train suggested we change for an express train a few stops ahead, & then that next train didn't quite get me home.
This is public transport. It happens a few times a year. It took me twice as long as usual to get home, but so what? That's why I carry a book. It's an interesting deviation from the norm, but it's one I can cope with.
I was going home the other day when the guard announced that he could smell smoke, & they were stopping at an unexpected station to investigate. After a few minutes, we were asked to get out of the train. That's easy - you get out, you find a piece of platform to wait away from the doors, so that other people can get out behind you, right? No; apparently you mill around the door so that you can be the first person back on the train when the all-clear is given.
This was not a crowded train - I had been very comfortable on a seat of my own. I - & I am sure many others - had no fear of having to stand for any part of the journey. So, why were people standing on the platform in the same way that they would if they were waiting for a train to arrive? Habit? Have they stopped thinking for the day?
The guard went up & down the train, having a good sniff. Some people decided that, after he had passed, it was time for them to get back on board. He chased them out again on his next pass down the train. Again - what were they thinking? Why were they so eager?
In the end, that train left without us. It was one of those rare days when I ended up catching four trains instead of one - the guard on the next train suggested we change for an express train a few stops ahead, & then that next train didn't quite get me home.
This is public transport. It happens a few times a year. It took me twice as long as usual to get home, but so what? That's why I carry a book. It's an interesting deviation from the norm, but it's one I can cope with.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Up the Stairs
I couldn't decide which blog to put this in ...
I was walking up the stairs from the platform to the concourse, in the usual stream of people so happy to start another work day, & it got me thinking. This was just a metaphor for government & politics. Let's face it, with an election coming on, these things do come to mind.
Essentially, we're all going in the same direction, but there are occasional people going the other way. One of the problems is that we're going at different speeds - some dawdle up stairs, or have lot of difficulty rising from the base platform, while others try to zoom up the stairs & feel impeded. Some people stick to the side, hanging onto the rail, while others wander about all over the stairs, & yet others intentionally zip from side to side to get around other people.
It occurred to me that it would all work so much more smoothly if we all co-ordinated our efforts - helped those who struggle up the steps (the station has no lift), be more aware of our fellow passengers & what they're trying to achieve. Rather than trying to get around them or ignore them, we should be trying to get to know them, & trying to work with them, so that we all get to the top & get on with our days.
If you ever wonder why people don't smile much on the platform, it's because of situations like this - being isolated in a crowd.
Everyone has their own way of getting up the stairs. But nobody seems to believe that their way is only one of so many. If we all have a look around us & take in what's happening, then I think we can all start the day in a better mood, as a part of the commuting community, not as a survivor of the morning fight on a flight of stairs.
I was walking up the stairs from the platform to the concourse, in the usual stream of people so happy to start another work day, & it got me thinking. This was just a metaphor for government & politics. Let's face it, with an election coming on, these things do come to mind.
Essentially, we're all going in the same direction, but there are occasional people going the other way. One of the problems is that we're going at different speeds - some dawdle up stairs, or have lot of difficulty rising from the base platform, while others try to zoom up the stairs & feel impeded. Some people stick to the side, hanging onto the rail, while others wander about all over the stairs, & yet others intentionally zip from side to side to get around other people.
It occurred to me that it would all work so much more smoothly if we all co-ordinated our efforts - helped those who struggle up the steps (the station has no lift), be more aware of our fellow passengers & what they're trying to achieve. Rather than trying to get around them or ignore them, we should be trying to get to know them, & trying to work with them, so that we all get to the top & get on with our days.
If you ever wonder why people don't smile much on the platform, it's because of situations like this - being isolated in a crowd.
Everyone has their own way of getting up the stairs. But nobody seems to believe that their way is only one of so many. If we all have a look around us & take in what's happening, then I think we can all start the day in a better mood, as a part of the commuting community, not as a survivor of the morning fight on a flight of stairs.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Secret Friend
I've already talked about the people you get used to seeing when you catch the same train every day. Now that I've changed carriages, I have the fun of starting all over again - people accepting that I am a part of their circle of not-known compatriots on the journey. Something I have noticed is that I seem to attract the same middle-aged lady to sit next to me quite regularly.
There's no particular reason why she would choose to sit with me the train is less than half full, & I sit in the middle of the carriage, but she's done it several times now. I don't mind - she flaps her arms about a bit at first, but then she settles down to quiet reading. She doesn't wear overpowering perfume. She doesn't even sniffle. One could almost call her the perfect travelling companion if it wasn't for the fact that I have no idea what she looks like - she approaches me from behind.
Interestingly, I think she is just as oblivious of me - I get up before her, & she invariably has to get up & pick up her second bag from the floor. She blocks my way forward down the carriage, & then gets back into the seat with someone else. You would think that her consistency of sitting next to me would eventually get her to the point of realising that I always get off at that stop, & that she will always have to shift her stuff to allow me to do so.
Maybe she hopes that I will not get off there. Maybe she dreams of the days before I joined the carriage, when that seat had been empty for her to be on the window side.
For now, we shall be comfortable companions who tolerate each others' existence, even if we have no idea who we're travelling with.
There's no particular reason why she would choose to sit with me the train is less than half full, & I sit in the middle of the carriage, but she's done it several times now. I don't mind - she flaps her arms about a bit at first, but then she settles down to quiet reading. She doesn't wear overpowering perfume. She doesn't even sniffle. One could almost call her the perfect travelling companion if it wasn't for the fact that I have no idea what she looks like - she approaches me from behind.
Interestingly, I think she is just as oblivious of me - I get up before her, & she invariably has to get up & pick up her second bag from the floor. She blocks my way forward down the carriage, & then gets back into the seat with someone else. You would think that her consistency of sitting next to me would eventually get her to the point of realising that I always get off at that stop, & that she will always have to shift her stuff to allow me to do so.
Maybe she hopes that I will not get off there. Maybe she dreams of the days before I joined the carriage, when that seat had been empty for her to be on the window side.
For now, we shall be comfortable companions who tolerate each others' existence, even if we have no idea who we're travelling with.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
While She Sleeps ...
One of the interesting things about getting on the train at the end of the line is finding people who are still asleep. You can try to work out whether they were meant to get off there, or whether they missed their stop & are waiting for the train to get back to where their home. I've seen plenty of people who have done then regularly, or else they've been night-shifters who get on the train before me & just have a routine of sleeping for half a dozen stations going home - or else on to their next job.
The problem starts when other people start getting on & the train starts to fill up. Sometimes, sleepers have the seat facing the wrong way, which confuses people even if the sleeper isn't filling the whole seat. In the middle of the train, you don't expect to have to face someone else, but if the sleeper is facing the wrong way, then you have to either face away from them (the wrong way) or towards them.
This morning, I saw a range of faces heading towards the sleeper's seat with an expression of expectation (empty seat!) that quickly turned to dismay or disgust as they realised that there was someone being socially awkward with the seat around the wrong way. Eventually, some brave soul - a mother, no doubt - took the risk & sat opposite, which broke the taboo.
It was quite some time before the sleeper found their station, at which point everyone got up & rearranged the seats - back to "normal". God is in His heaven ...
The problem starts when other people start getting on & the train starts to fill up. Sometimes, sleepers have the seat facing the wrong way, which confuses people even if the sleeper isn't filling the whole seat. In the middle of the train, you don't expect to have to face someone else, but if the sleeper is facing the wrong way, then you have to either face away from them (the wrong way) or towards them.
This morning, I saw a range of faces heading towards the sleeper's seat with an expression of expectation (empty seat!) that quickly turned to dismay or disgust as they realised that there was someone being socially awkward with the seat around the wrong way. Eventually, some brave soul - a mother, no doubt - took the risk & sat opposite, which broke the taboo.
It was quite some time before the sleeper found their station, at which point everyone got up & rearranged the seats - back to "normal". God is in His heaven ...
Mystery Solved!
Although I don't get bored often, I can imagine how some people can get so bored on public transport that they get obsessed with little things - like having a spare seat next to them for the maximum part of their journey, or hoping for that little South-East Asian lady to sit to next to them instead of the big bloke with the briefcase.
Along these lines, I used to get intrigued by a young lady who would walk along the platform of the last stop before I would get off the train. Her timing was impeccable, & that was the interesting bit. I can imagine someone leaving a nearby house to arrive at the same time every day - but to arrive at the same time relative to another train was impressive. I should point out that she walked up the other side of the platform, not as if she was trying to catch my train.
Recently, my office moved, & so I get off the train one stop earlier - at that station. Because of this, I also changed carriage to get closer to the stairs. As I waited for the train to stop & people to begin to move off down the carriage, I looked up this morning, & there she was, two people ahead of me.
Mystery solved. Her impeccable timing came from her being on my train & changing to the other side of the platform.
Now I need a new mystery.
Along these lines, I used to get intrigued by a young lady who would walk along the platform of the last stop before I would get off the train. Her timing was impeccable, & that was the interesting bit. I can imagine someone leaving a nearby house to arrive at the same time every day - but to arrive at the same time relative to another train was impressive. I should point out that she walked up the other side of the platform, not as if she was trying to catch my train.
Recently, my office moved, & so I get off the train one stop earlier - at that station. Because of this, I also changed carriage to get closer to the stairs. As I waited for the train to stop & people to begin to move off down the carriage, I looked up this morning, & there she was, two people ahead of me.
Mystery solved. Her impeccable timing came from her being on my train & changing to the other side of the platform.
Now I need a new mystery.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Nose to the Door
It's interesting to watch passengers when their routine is disrupted. This morning, I arrived at the station to discover no trains. This is unusual, because there's one, sometimes two, trains already on the platform - I live at the end of the line. My mild distress was confirmed on finding people standing around on the concourse staring at the (lack of) information display. I joined the throng, but in this age of technology I could open up an app & hope that it had something useful to say. It didn't.
The screen still said no trains for forty minutes - or more - so I decided to go back home for a while. Just as I was leaving earshot, there was an announcement for a train in twenty minutes. This was fine by me, but it meant three trains' worth of people. I can rough it.
I stood on the platform somewhere near where my carriage should have ended up. People started congregating in very specific places. Sure enough, that was where the doors did open when the train arrived twenty minutes later. The important thing is that these people were crowded around a single spot, pushing to be the first on the train - & I mean literally, as the train was empty by definition.
So, how did they know where the train would stop? It's something that just doesn't happen often enough to memorise. It's different when you're coming home, because the train pulls in & you're waiting. Of a morning, the train is there for me, & there's no crowding.
Next problem - why did they stand there like sheep trying to push up the race? These people were almost shoving each other out of the way to press their noses into the door as the train stopped. Is it that important to get that one special seat ahead of everyone else? I should point out that we're only talking about five or six people in total doing this, plus one or two like me standing back with a look of shock.
After that amusement, it was just a SNAFU day.
The screen still said no trains for forty minutes - or more - so I decided to go back home for a while. Just as I was leaving earshot, there was an announcement for a train in twenty minutes. This was fine by me, but it meant three trains' worth of people. I can rough it.
I stood on the platform somewhere near where my carriage should have ended up. People started congregating in very specific places. Sure enough, that was where the doors did open when the train arrived twenty minutes later. The important thing is that these people were crowded around a single spot, pushing to be the first on the train - & I mean literally, as the train was empty by definition.
So, how did they know where the train would stop? It's something that just doesn't happen often enough to memorise. It's different when you're coming home, because the train pulls in & you're waiting. Of a morning, the train is there for me, & there's no crowding.
Next problem - why did they stand there like sheep trying to push up the race? These people were almost shoving each other out of the way to press their noses into the door as the train stopped. Is it that important to get that one special seat ahead of everyone else? I should point out that we're only talking about five or six people in total doing this, plus one or two like me standing back with a look of shock.
After that amusement, it was just a SNAFU day.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Putting the Squeeze On
Although mornings are a slow accretion of people approaching the city, the afternoon train ride is guaranteed to be a bit of a squeeze. On some trains, I'm lucky to get a seat. When I do, it's often in between two others - I'm lucky if I get to sit on a two-seater.
I accept that some people are bigger & take up more space, but when I see someone not gravity challenged still managing to take up more than a reasonable percentage of the seat, I have to join them. Thus, I ended up beside one of those chaps who must get their privates pierced regularly, because they can't bear to put their legs together. I have heard the complaint that guys who try to do so end up with bruised knees, but, seriously, if you only have two positions for your legs - 0degrees apart & 90degrees - then it's time to see a doctor.
This chap, as they all do, gave the impression that he was put out because I wanted almost half (!) of the seat. Generally, I am quite comfortable on an average suburban train seat because I have that special skill of being able to keep my legs together without knocking my knees. It takes practice - in my case years! - but I know that it is physically possible for a male of far-from-slight build to not have to sit with his legs apart.
Of course, such practice also comes with wearing a kilt on weekends, but that's another story.
Perhaps men should just imagine that they are wearing a kilt & someone's grandmother is sitting opposite.
I accept that some people are bigger & take up more space, but when I see someone not gravity challenged still managing to take up more than a reasonable percentage of the seat, I have to join them. Thus, I ended up beside one of those chaps who must get their privates pierced regularly, because they can't bear to put their legs together. I have heard the complaint that guys who try to do so end up with bruised knees, but, seriously, if you only have two positions for your legs - 0degrees apart & 90degrees - then it's time to see a doctor.
This chap, as they all do, gave the impression that he was put out because I wanted almost half (!) of the seat. Generally, I am quite comfortable on an average suburban train seat because I have that special skill of being able to keep my legs together without knocking my knees. It takes practice - in my case years! - but I know that it is physically possible for a male of far-from-slight build to not have to sit with his legs apart.
Of course, such practice also comes with wearing a kilt on weekends, but that's another story.
Perhaps men should just imagine that they are wearing a kilt & someone's grandmother is sitting opposite.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Amusing Yourself
You could say that I amuse myself catching the train by thinking about catching the train & how people amuse themselves. That's not quite true, because I can multi-task. I might listen to a recorded lecture, or else read, or do puzzles, or play my musical instrument (!)
This means that I have a bag full of stuff that I can resort to. For all that, no single item is particularly bulky, & only the instrument requires space to wield, so I only do it when the train is mostly empty.
Some people don't take that attitude, though - they have one thing to do, & they're going to do it no matter what. Everyone's familiar with the person who opens up their briefcase & works on their laptop as if they have the whole seat to themselves. I also have a regular chap play games - not just simple board games, this guy has a joystick & plays football, for example. He has headphones on, & goes for the whole experience. He does this on a crowded train, & he sits on the aisle & has to get up to let someone sit in the middle of the three-seat.
Then you look at the attitude of these people - some quite happily shrug as if to say "I know I'm taking up more than my share of the public transport, but what can you do?", others turn embarrassed to the window & "hide" their amusement furtively - those watching DVDs, for example.
With the proliferation of smart phones & the like, people are more used to wrapping their world around their eyes & ears & ignoring the rest of the world - or worse, hoping that the world will ignore them. This is very sad. We're no longer catching public transport together, we're just moving in the same general direction at the same time.
This means that I have a bag full of stuff that I can resort to. For all that, no single item is particularly bulky, & only the instrument requires space to wield, so I only do it when the train is mostly empty.
Some people don't take that attitude, though - they have one thing to do, & they're going to do it no matter what. Everyone's familiar with the person who opens up their briefcase & works on their laptop as if they have the whole seat to themselves. I also have a regular chap play games - not just simple board games, this guy has a joystick & plays football, for example. He has headphones on, & goes for the whole experience. He does this on a crowded train, & he sits on the aisle & has to get up to let someone sit in the middle of the three-seat.
Then you look at the attitude of these people - some quite happily shrug as if to say "I know I'm taking up more than my share of the public transport, but what can you do?", others turn embarrassed to the window & "hide" their amusement furtively - those watching DVDs, for example.
With the proliferation of smart phones & the like, people are more used to wrapping their world around their eyes & ears & ignoring the rest of the world - or worse, hoping that the world will ignore them. This is very sad. We're no longer catching public transport together, we're just moving in the same general direction at the same time.
Monday, April 22, 2013
It's Who You Know
If you catch the same train for long enough - & it really doesn't take long - you recognise the regulars, & their little groups. You also notice the loners. You're one of them, otherwise you'd be talking to a friend rather than staring at everyone else.
You can easily (without being self-conscious) catch snatches of conversation, or notice things about these people - the sort of things that you can verify with the next opportunity. You find out people's names, their habits, their occupation, even where they work. I've changed trains with a group of people for months at a time - even travelling to the same building via two trains - without doing any more than meet the eyes of these compatriots, these co-travellers, these (sometimes) unnamed friends.
Once you find out a name, though, yo have to be very careful not to use it - unless you want to make an impact. For example, one chap sits & does his emails & spreadsheets every morning on the way in. He sat next to me just the once, so I found out his name when I glanced at his screen & email signature. I kept meaning to ask why he never sat next to me again. Admittedly, he'd get more elbow room sitting next to a young lady, but it hurts that he saw me as a one-off stand-by travelling companion.
I'm not suggesting that you find out about people & then freak them out later by talking to them as if you actually did know their life story, but it's nice to know that you could. It gives you a certain amount of comfort knowing that you're actually travelling with friends - even if they don't realise how close you consider them to be.
You can easily (without being self-conscious) catch snatches of conversation, or notice things about these people - the sort of things that you can verify with the next opportunity. You find out people's names, their habits, their occupation, even where they work. I've changed trains with a group of people for months at a time - even travelling to the same building via two trains - without doing any more than meet the eyes of these compatriots, these co-travellers, these (sometimes) unnamed friends.
Once you find out a name, though, yo have to be very careful not to use it - unless you want to make an impact. For example, one chap sits & does his emails & spreadsheets every morning on the way in. He sat next to me just the once, so I found out his name when I glanced at his screen & email signature. I kept meaning to ask why he never sat next to me again. Admittedly, he'd get more elbow room sitting next to a young lady, but it hurts that he saw me as a one-off stand-by travelling companion.
I'm not suggesting that you find out about people & then freak them out later by talking to them as if you actually did know their life story, but it's nice to know that you could. It gives you a certain amount of comfort knowing that you're actually travelling with friends - even if they don't realise how close you consider them to be.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Little Things
It's not the big things that always fill the mind when travelling the long distance from the outer suburbs. These days, I don't read on my way in, but rather listen to taped lectures. If I watch videos, it's while I'm half-distracted with the world around me - inside or outside the train.
It is in this way that I notice the gradual change from creeks & open channels that were probably once streams in their own right, into marshlands, canals & suburban storm-water systems of increasing complexity. It is fascinating to work out what flows are going to where, & why.
This morning, I was struck by the weirs & crossings that have been built in concrete in open areas. There may be more concrete nearby - bridges, etc - but the base of the water course is rock (I think). As we travelled along our steel rail, a half dozen common ducks splashed about in the shallows of the water trickling over the weir.
That made my day.
It is in this way that I notice the gradual change from creeks & open channels that were probably once streams in their own right, into marshlands, canals & suburban storm-water systems of increasing complexity. It is fascinating to work out what flows are going to where, & why.
This morning, I was struck by the weirs & crossings that have been built in concrete in open areas. There may be more concrete nearby - bridges, etc - but the base of the water course is rock (I think). As we travelled along our steel rail, a half dozen common ducks splashed about in the shallows of the water trickling over the weir.
That made my day.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Courtesy between Comrades
I often read about how discourteous people on public transport are - actually, I think the general expression is "rude". There's also some discourtesy -
Then, this morning, I was watching a group that always sit together. They get on at various stops, the last member almost never getting the chance to join them - often having to sit a long way off. Today, she had to stand. I don't want to assume that her bulk is anything but pregnancy, so it was at least chivalrous for one of her male friends to give up his seat.
It got me thinking - would he have done so for a random person? Or would he have continued to sit chatting to his friends? The group is mixed, but mature, & it totals more than the six that would fit together if they were all there every day. How does the way we treat people socially change dependent on how well we know them - or how much we think we can get out of being courteous?
He got lots of kudos from his friends. Most people would have gained what has been described as like urinating in dark pants - a warm feeling that no-one notices.
- people who won't nurse their baggage
- children who use up seats on packed trains
- people who sit in aged/invalid seats & won't get up
- men who won't stand for a pregnant lady
- etc
Then, this morning, I was watching a group that always sit together. They get on at various stops, the last member almost never getting the chance to join them - often having to sit a long way off. Today, she had to stand. I don't want to assume that her bulk is anything but pregnancy, so it was at least chivalrous for one of her male friends to give up his seat.
It got me thinking - would he have done so for a random person? Or would he have continued to sit chatting to his friends? The group is mixed, but mature, & it totals more than the six that would fit together if they were all there every day. How does the way we treat people socially change dependent on how well we know them - or how much we think we can get out of being courteous?
He got lots of kudos from his friends. Most people would have gained what has been described as like urinating in dark pants - a warm feeling that no-one notices.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Sleepers on the rails
I'm sure it's a well-worn allusion. "The Rail" is the railway network, & travelling by rail is being transported on a train. The physical rails are suspended above the ground by means of sleepers. The train carriage is filled with people, most of whom tune out sufficiently to fall asleep. I've now done that so to death that I have to bring you back to an interesting bit.
There are two opportunities to sleep on the train - all the way in to work, & all the way home. Some people can take advantage of both of these, but you generally only see those catching up on missed sleep, or else those dozing after a hard day's work. It is my conjecture that these two types of sleep are distinct.
Morning sleepers sleep deeper. They settle in, lean against a window & just drop off. Simple. They do it every day.
Afternoon sleepers are fitful sleepers. They don't want to miss their stop (home). They tend to drop off unexpectedly, drifting off, waking, repeatedly, trying to stay awake, but not succeeding. These people are funnier. I believe that they are also more likely to snore.
The reason I believe that the snorers are the afternoon snoozers is that they don't make themselves comfortable. They tend to exhaustion, unpreparedness, & are more often cramped in their seat - because people who work hard at work tend to rush home all at the same time. If you don't have control over your working hours, then the tendency is that someone is setting your work procedures & priorities as well.
Most morning sleepers are relaxed. I will lump them together as deep sleepers.
Afternoon sleepers are of different types.
There are two opportunities to sleep on the train - all the way in to work, & all the way home. Some people can take advantage of both of these, but you generally only see those catching up on missed sleep, or else those dozing after a hard day's work. It is my conjecture that these two types of sleep are distinct.
Morning sleepers sleep deeper. They settle in, lean against a window & just drop off. Simple. They do it every day.
Afternoon sleepers are fitful sleepers. They don't want to miss their stop (home). They tend to drop off unexpectedly, drifting off, waking, repeatedly, trying to stay awake, but not succeeding. These people are funnier. I believe that they are also more likely to snore.
The reason I believe that the snorers are the afternoon snoozers is that they don't make themselves comfortable. They tend to exhaustion, unpreparedness, & are more often cramped in their seat - because people who work hard at work tend to rush home all at the same time. If you don't have control over your working hours, then the tendency is that someone is setting your work procedures & priorities as well.
Most morning sleepers are relaxed. I will lump them together as deep sleepers.
Afternoon sleepers are of different types.
- Nodder - slowly moving head up & down
- Snap-Nodder - slowly moving head down, then snapping it back in wakefulness
- Side-slider - someone headed for your shoulder
- Curler - someone who unconsciously tries to get into a foetal position
- Stretcher - someone who tries to take up as much space as possible when asleep
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Easter Special
It's very easy to get used to a routine when you catch trains - the same train into work & home (although I haven't quite got that down pat yet). If you catch the same train, you see the same people getting on in the same places, taking the same seats, etc. Some people get very upset when there's someone in "their" seat, or someone sitting with "their" friend(s), which is funny when you think about it. The regulars never learn.
Worse, when you've invested energy testing various trains for their running times, stopping patterns & the newness of the train, only to get an old train when you expected a new one. Occasionally, you can be delighted by the reverse, but that's much less likely.
You also get a feel for the people around you, so when there's a loud "interloper", you're far more likely to remember them than you are the well-dressed beautiful woman who appears once - although you might wonder where she got to the next day & just be thankful that the smelly old man is elsewhere.
Easter is one of those times when things just happen to change unexpectedly. There was "emergency" work on the lines last week, so the announcement was made that if people could make their own way ahead four stations, they could get past the problem, but there would be no buses provided because the Easter Show had them all. I went home & waited an hour or two for it to clear.
This morning's guard kept making announcements along the lines of "This train is not the one you might otherwise have thought it was, because it stops at ...", & I kept thinking "Everyone here knows that - it's a peak-hour train, 99% of the passengers are regulars". After he'd made the announcement at every second stop, it finally twigged on arrival at Central - "If you're going to catch a country train ..., if you're going to the Easter Show, ask the staff what platform to go to." Full of useful information, our man.
Worse, when you've invested energy testing various trains for their running times, stopping patterns & the newness of the train, only to get an old train when you expected a new one. Occasionally, you can be delighted by the reverse, but that's much less likely.
You also get a feel for the people around you, so when there's a loud "interloper", you're far more likely to remember them than you are the well-dressed beautiful woman who appears once - although you might wonder where she got to the next day & just be thankful that the smelly old man is elsewhere.
Easter is one of those times when things just happen to change unexpectedly. There was "emergency" work on the lines last week, so the announcement was made that if people could make their own way ahead four stations, they could get past the problem, but there would be no buses provided because the Easter Show had them all. I went home & waited an hour or two for it to clear.
This morning's guard kept making announcements along the lines of "This train is not the one you might otherwise have thought it was, because it stops at ...", & I kept thinking "Everyone here knows that - it's a peak-hour train, 99% of the passengers are regulars". After he'd made the announcement at every second stop, it finally twigged on arrival at Central - "If you're going to catch a country train ..., if you're going to the Easter Show, ask the staff what platform to go to." Full of useful information, our man.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Cat on the Rail
This morning would have been an ordinary journey if I wasn't reminded of how people who have a seat "encourage" people who join the train. This came to mind because I get the seat of my choice where the train begins its journey, & I usually get four stations worth of loneliness (others might say "peace"). I usually look up towards the front of the train as people get on, with my bag already on my lap. If anyone comes up from behind me, then I'm ready anyway.
This morning, there was a slightly pregnant woman walking down the aisle. I looked up, caught her eye (thinking the inane "Oh look, she's pregnant."), & she sat down beside me. It's kind of like dealing with cats (for those who have had them). A cat will stare down people who are afraid of cats. If you're sitting, then the cat will stare at you until you look away, & then land in your lap, thus dominating you. Pregnant women must be cats.
Normally, I'd be afraid that the pregnant woman, plus her bag(s) would end up taking over, but this one was small, & we shared the seat quite comfortably.
I could take some time to categorise the passengers waiting for a friend.
This morning, there was a slightly pregnant woman walking down the aisle. I looked up, caught her eye (thinking the inane "Oh look, she's pregnant."), & she sat down beside me. It's kind of like dealing with cats (for those who have had them). A cat will stare down people who are afraid of cats. If you're sitting, then the cat will stare at you until you look away, & then land in your lap, thus dominating you. Pregnant women must be cats.
Normally, I'd be afraid that the pregnant woman, plus her bag(s) would end up taking over, but this one was small, & we shared the seat quite comfortably.
I could take some time to categorise the passengers waiting for a friend.
- lonely bagger - the person who puts their bag beside them to cover another seat on its own
- double bagger - the person who has multiple items strewn across seats
- chillaxed - the person who puts their feet up on the seat in front, headphones blaring, "asleep"
- phat - the person who fills up more than one seat even without a bag - just by their position or dirty looks
- knobbly - the man (always) who slouches in a seat so that his knees touch the seat opposite
- wide - the man (always) who must have his legs spread to ninety degrees
- belligerent - the person who won't move their bag unless you to sit on it
- expectant - the one who is minding seats for someone who never seems to arrive
- fumer - the person who, even after reluctantly moving their bag, thinks they shouldn't have to nurse it
- stuck - the person who makes you climb over them to get to (or get out of) a non-aisle seat
- overly-generous - the person who moves away rather than has you sit next to them (usually on the way home, as the train empties)
Monday, March 25, 2013
Intro to Riding Trains
This blog is about trains - the riding thereof. I like public transport - I like the idea of being transported 95% of the way to work, rather than the hassle & worry of getting that last 5% by burning fossil fuels, raising my blood pressure, & doing nothing more exciting than watching women put on make-up at traffic lights.
I accept that public transport is imperfect. This is an oath that every traveller should make when they buy a ticket. If you don't accept responsibility for this choice you have made - if you think that taking public transport absolves you of all responsibility for getting to work - then you need to take a long hard look at yourself, because you're just looking to blame the world for your own (self-provided) problems in general.
I really don't like it when people get upset because a train is late. If you really rely on trains to be perfect, then there is something wrong with your lifestyle. The reality is, if 90% of the time the trains do what you expect, then you're ahead of the game. The other 10% make life interesting. I might be late, but I get a free story out of it.
I plan not to be too retrospective in this blog - things that happened last year, or "I remember when ..." stories you will tell your grand-kiddies one day when trains are a fond memory & everyone has access to instantaneous pain-free travel. Until then, I'm happy enough getting a train that has air-conditioning.
This morning, my train pulled into a major station/interchange, & there was an announcement that there would be a delay because a passenger had collapsed. A few people fled the train (hoping to catch one on another platform). Two station staff (not the guard) were soon trying to find the person involved (which was interesting), & when they made their assessment, there was an announcement that those in a hurry should change trains. Most people (& the train had been full) got up & streamed up the steps. It was about then that I realised it was my carriage involved! This was obvious when the handful of people left started craning their necks to view the unfortunate woman.
Shortly thereafter, the paramedics arrived & carted her away. I couldn't even tell you how long the delay was - 5-10 minutes, perhaps. I could cope with that. I don't generally rely on being somewhere at a specific time, or waiting until the last minute to jump on a train. Trains just come past & head in my direction, so I take them. The train is not mine. I can't get upset if "my" train is late or crowded.
I don't think I'm particularly Zen about it, but when you catch trains, you have to face the reality that's in front of you. You give up control in terms of determining your path. You are passive with regards locomotion, temporal concerns, the activities of others, your environment. You have chosen to accept that you are public transport. Fighting that seems quite pointless.
I accept that public transport is imperfect. This is an oath that every traveller should make when they buy a ticket. If you don't accept responsibility for this choice you have made - if you think that taking public transport absolves you of all responsibility for getting to work - then you need to take a long hard look at yourself, because you're just looking to blame the world for your own (self-provided) problems in general.
I really don't like it when people get upset because a train is late. If you really rely on trains to be perfect, then there is something wrong with your lifestyle. The reality is, if 90% of the time the trains do what you expect, then you're ahead of the game. The other 10% make life interesting. I might be late, but I get a free story out of it.
I plan not to be too retrospective in this blog - things that happened last year, or "I remember when ..." stories you will tell your grand-kiddies one day when trains are a fond memory & everyone has access to instantaneous pain-free travel. Until then, I'm happy enough getting a train that has air-conditioning.
This morning, my train pulled into a major station/interchange, & there was an announcement that there would be a delay because a passenger had collapsed. A few people fled the train (hoping to catch one on another platform). Two station staff (not the guard) were soon trying to find the person involved (which was interesting), & when they made their assessment, there was an announcement that those in a hurry should change trains. Most people (& the train had been full) got up & streamed up the steps. It was about then that I realised it was my carriage involved! This was obvious when the handful of people left started craning their necks to view the unfortunate woman.
Shortly thereafter, the paramedics arrived & carted her away. I couldn't even tell you how long the delay was - 5-10 minutes, perhaps. I could cope with that. I don't generally rely on being somewhere at a specific time, or waiting until the last minute to jump on a train. Trains just come past & head in my direction, so I take them. The train is not mine. I can't get upset if "my" train is late or crowded.
I don't think I'm particularly Zen about it, but when you catch trains, you have to face the reality that's in front of you. You give up control in terms of determining your path. You are passive with regards locomotion, temporal concerns, the activities of others, your environment. You have chosen to accept that you are public transport. Fighting that seems quite pointless.
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