On a recent train journey, spent some time chatting to rather attractive young Chinese-English fashion designer sitting opposite me. Hopes lowered when he started talking about his girlfriend. Hopes on floor when he told me he was on his way to propose, and got ring out to show me(sigh).

hey, Skiffle and myself have been here, discussing Star Wars characters...

The last time I sat opposite someone very attractive on a train, and actually talked to them, not only was she on her way to Torquay to meet her bf, but so was I. Meet my gf, I mean. (For the first time, in fact, after a lengthy net-courtship). Such, if I may say so, are the cruel ironies inflicted by a malevolent Fate.



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

I keep on talking to attractive young females, but their mobile phones always seem to be stolen shotrly afterwards. I'm sure there must be something somebody's trying to say to me, but I'm not sure what...



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

no one here rides the train on a regular basis to get from city to city...I mean in the big cities we'll take subways or Metro or whatever the local version is, but there's an unwritten rule that you never make eye contact or heaven forbid, TALK to someone...that's just downright rude. You can always tell who the tourists are because they always want to chat!

Oh, and another DC oddity is the carpool lane. We have this thing called a SLUG line (no idea what the acronym stands for, but it was started by the military to get their people to work at the Pentagon) Basically, you can either be the driver or the SLUG. In order to drive in the carpool lane, you must have 3 people or more in your car. So lone drivers go to these designated spots and pick up SLUGS (total strangers) who are waiting in line to be driven. You get your two extra passengers and away you go. No talking, radio on low, etc. There's a whole set of rules. You drop your passengers off at one of 3 drop off spots and then you're on to work. Doing this saves everyone about 45minutes to an hour each direction, because the traffic here during rush hour is insane. But again, no talking, etc. Bizarre huh? Although, sometimes you get regulars and then it's okay to strike up a mild convo. LOL

Why isn't talking allowed? And why must the radio be on at all? It all sounds slightly Orwellian!



..........................................................................................

That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah

PSD;

It means there's someone on the same train as you, who takes advantage of the way your fascinating conversation keeps these women occupied, and steals their phones.

talking to strangers here can be considered rude. I know that's odd, as in how do you meet anyone new. There are allowable places for that...bars, gyms, sporting events, and such, but commuting or anything to do with work is off limits. Don't know if Magda will back me up on that one. Maybe it's a big city thing, not sure. Could be a cultural thing. It's also considered strange to speak or make eye contact while in an elevator, as well. Do you Brits do that too?

It's funny to see a couple of people having an animated conversation walk up to an elevator, push the button and as soon as they step in stop their chat completely then as soon as the door opens and they step out, start back up right where they left off. Of course certain men find it just fine to rip a big silent but deadly fart while in a croweded elevator...as long as it doesn't make noise! I think I'd rather hear people talking!

It is true that strangers on busses and trains don't generally talk to each other, although there are exceptions. And people rarely talk on the elevator/lift. If they do, it's generally about the odd behaviour of said lift (taking forever for the doors to open, burned out lights, stopping on floors where nobody is waiting, and so forth).

There is one particular street near the medical center where I work that does have a car pool lane. You're supposed to have at least 2 people in the car to use it, during certain hours. Don't know that it's enforced, though, and we don't have pick up spots for strangers. There is a city bus system though, and university employees can get a free commuter bus pass instead of buying a parking permit if they wish. I considered it, but while the Ann Arbor Transit Authority (AATA) bus does have a route that goes down to the nearby town where I live (in fact, within 2 blocks of my place) it would take me an hour to get to the downtown station, and then another half hour to get from there to work, while it only takes me 20-30 minutes to drive it myself. But the real deal-breaker was that, assuming a zero time transfer downtown (unlikely), the earliest I could get to work would be at 9:30am, and the latest I could leave and still get home would be 4:30pm. Not exactly what my boss would consider a full work day, and I'd be spending at least 3 hours in transit every day instead of 40-60 minutes.



--------------
"I've often said that the difference between British and American SF TV series is that the British ones have three-dimensional characters and cardboard spaceships, while the Americans do it the other way around."
--Ross Smith

Well, it's nice to know public transport is crap everywhere. I want a bus shelter in my village ... I got soaked this morning. And at 0730, too.



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

I love my commute...precisely 22 steps from bed to computer chair. I can even wear my Pinky and the Brain slippers to work if I'm so inclined. Now if I could just get paid for what I do!

Oh, and on lazy or really bad back days, I have no commute at all. The laptop is always near the bed and luckily, my husband insisted on having a wireless network set up.

I'm a lucky girl :)

At 20 past two, I have finally made it to Reading, so nobody else is allowed to whinge about commuting! Okay, so I had to catch a later train than normal anyway because I had to see a doctor, except he'd been in a bus crash and so I had to wait for a free spot, so I caught a later train only to find that Reading station is half shut due to points failure, and so got kicked off on a station platform with no roof in the middle of nowhere to wait for a train at an indeterminate time. Needless to say, I was not happy.



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

are you happy now?

Wow, that's the kind of morning that doesn't do anyone's disgestion any good.
Perhaps it would be tactless of me to mention that after being woken at around 8:00, I fell asleep again and didn't wake until 11:30. At which point I remembered that I was supposed to cook lunch for Dad, as Mum is out on some walk around Norwich with the WI.
Hence some rather frantic running around kitchen, trying to find where Mum keeps various utensils, pans etc, getting to grips with the AGA (which one's the boiling plate ?). Oh God, better set the table. What about Dad's cup of tea ? Gave up on cup of tea as result of having aching back from moment I got up - too tired to bother. Remembered to get out fruit salad for dessert. Rummaging in pantry to find something to improve rather sad mince Mum has left stewing in AGA. Find unopened packet of Bisto. Check and find Best Before date was April 2001 ! Add some HP Sauce instead. Find small, rusty screwdriver in utensil drawer (?). Wonder whether I can be bothered to add mash to mince and make shepard's pie, like I'm supposed to. Ask Dad's opinion when he arrives: he doesn't mind, as they end up in the same place.
Dad makes his own cup of tea. Eats everything, with addition of HP Sauce.
Job done.

HP sauce is the sauce of Kings. Works wonders on a fish-finger sandwich.

Prefer mine plain

A fish finger sandwich?!???

This is a strange concept of which I have not previously heard. Mind you, it's not as bad as the infamous sandwiches made by someone I used to know at university. One of them contained, if I remember correctly, beef flavoured Monster Munch, lemon juice and mayonnaise. I went and hid under a table in protest while he was eating it.

Oh, and Dave Rainbow is the inventor of the toffee toastie. I know some, er, interesting people.



..........................................................................................

That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah

A friend once had to stop his flat mate from making cheese on toast. Flat mate had grated some cheese onto bread, and turned the toaster on its side. He was about to insert cheese-covered bread into toaster when Mike found him.

fish finger sandwiches are the best. crunchy, hot and drizzled with HP sauce. I can highly recommend them, especially after a session in the pub as they are really really easy to make, even whilst drunk.

Toffee toastie? Sounds intriguing. Try a banana toastie. Yum.

Another food-related topic...

Best toasties I used to enjoy were garlic, chilli, salami and ham. And cheese, obviously.

I only had these when I was single, strangely.



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.