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 ...
No comments:
Post a Comment