I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself. ~James Baldwin
Last Friday night in England, we took the train into London for dinner. The journey took more than 1 hour and was overall efficient and pleasant, though rather expensive by American standards.
Since we were taking the reverse-commute route, the 5:15pm train was only semi-full. The commuters were smartly-dressed and weary-faced. The weather that day had been stupendous by English standards, with partly cloudy sunshine and a warm wind that smelled of spring. A lovely day to resent tourists who obviously did not spend their day peering at computer screens in climate-controlled indoor environments.
How interesting it is to observe other cities’ rush hour train commuters in the midst of their plight. This particular train system is a novelty to me, but I know that it is routine for them. They have ingrained knowledge of seat configurations, automated announcements, train stops and the duration separating them. They have preferences for particular train cars and favorite seats on that car. They do not worry about missing their stop or being unable to find their fare card when the conductor appears. Some keep their belongings politely within their allotted space, while others leave things strewn around them like a makeshift fence.
They do not stare at other people; our chatty group of 4 interlopers, if we enter their consciousness, we are given a glance and then ignored. Instead, they have their diversions: Books, magazines, newspapers, MP3 players, phones, laptops, sleep. Except for the occasional hushed phone call, they are solemnly intent on passing the time until they reach their destination.
A man with a pushcart comes through the aisle with snacks and beverages. He has beer, wine, and whiskey! The novelty of drinking libations on a commuter train is tempting, but we pass. Drinking on a commuter train seems like a habit of the broken and the desperate, even for a tourist.
It gave me great comfort to witness this familiar rat race being played out in a foreign country. Boring commuters are universal, and all over the world, people are wallowing away their lives on trains.
