I get Annoyed . . .

I am a commuter. I live forty-five minutes from my office in downtown Toronto and rather than take my car into work and enduring two hours of rush hour traffic, I take the train. It stops about five minutes from my home. I arrive in Toronto about thirty-five minutes later. I hop on the subway and three stops later I am at the office. The office building is located just up the steps from the subway. The only thing that would make it better would before the office building to be connected to the subway station.

When I was a kid growing up in the suburbs taking the train into the big city was the highlight of the month. Now it is routine.

There is a certain train culture. While everyone seems to sit in the same seat every time, you do not engage in conversation. You don't make eye contact. You sit quietly and read, contemplate the day ahead, or try and decide what to put in your blog. It is peaceful, calm, and very routine.

Today I thought of the things that disturb that routine, the things that annoy me on the train. Here they are in no particular order:

1. People reading over my shoulder. If you want to read the paper so badly - buy one. Yesterday someone even asked me to turn a page back because he hadn't finished reading the article yet. That made me cranky and was the start of this particular rant.
2. People wearing excessive perfume. Excessive cheap perfume is even worse. My office is scent free because a number of people have allergies. I respect that. Unfortunately there are times when I sit next to a perfume bather that I smell like it all day. I'm not sensitive to scents so when I'm getting a headache it is time to cut back!
3. Sick people. You may feel that you job is so important that you need to drag yourself into work when you are sick. Guess what though, I don't want your germs! If you're coughing and hacking up a lung - do us all a favour go home, take a Nyquil, and do to bed!
4. People who refuse to give up their seat to someone who needs it. This drives me nuts. If you have a seat and someone gets on the train who could really use a seat and there a none left - get up. I don't enjoy standing on a bouncy train for 35 minutes anymore than the next person but I certainly would rather stand then have a 9-month pregnant woman do so, or an elderly person, or a person with a cane. Be considerate folks, it comes back to you!
5. People who are too loud. I understand that not everybody uses their train time for quiet reflection. I get that, I really do. But if you have the voice that sounds like nails scratching down a chalk board or a voice like a braying moose . . . shush up. You don't have to be silent, just respectful. I promise to do the same.
6. When the train just stops and sits there for 20 minutes with no explanation. I realize that once we are on the train we are held captive to the whims of the train. In our post 9-11 world we wonder when the train just stops in the middle of nowhere for no reason. We get nervous. How hard is it to get on the PA and say 'Ladies and Gentlemen, we are stopped because of a stalled train up ahead.' I know that I would like that. Then I could stop thinking that there was a bomb threat or something awful.
7. People who use excessive swearing. I swear. I really do. I'm not an angel. However, I understand that there are some words you may use in the comfort of your home or in the local biker bar let's say, that just are not suitable for the mixed crowd on the train. Sorry if I have offended the biker contingent. Leave the trash talk at home.
8. People who have loud personal conversations on their cell phones. Oh my - this makes me crazy. Today a women was having a screaming match with her daughter over the phone. Why? What is the point? Do you really need to exhibit your inadequacies as a parent to the rest of the world? Britney Spears did that - look where it got her. I get that if you're waiting a lung transplant you may need to take a call and you may need to chat for a bit. If not, how hard is it to say - 'I'm on the train, may I call you back?' See, it is easy, it really is.
9. People who have their personal music device turned up to such a high level that we all have to hear it. Fine. Choose to go deaf. I enjoy hearing. I love music. Chances are that if your music is playing at a supersonic level I won't much like it. Turn it down and we'll all be pleased.
10. People listening to head banger type music on the same personal music device. Enough said.

Whew. I am happy now. I should rant everyday and then I'd be in a good frame of mind for the rest of the day!

Have a great day folks.

Comments

[Annika]

As a fellow commuter, all I can say is I AGREE. May I add people who eat? Who eat nuts or candy and spill all over, or who eat smelly food? Tuna salad with raw onions is one of my pet peeves. It tastes good, but that SMELL!

[Jerry]

I hear you. Good Lord smelly food is bad as well. Luckily people here don't often eat on the train. I have noticed that since I started the diet many people sitting around me seem to have McDonalds! I think they are testing me. Either that or I am just hypersensitive to it!