Pictured: a tram in downtown Melbourne.Public transport around Melbourne is excellent. It creeps through all of downtown and spreads its tentacles far outside the city center with trains, trams and buses. It's relatively clean, decently priced, and seems to have enough capacity to support this city.
I am, however, sick of it. There are two main issues that I have with the public transport: it takes forever to get anywhere, and public transport people. Kane and I went to a meeting at the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection...) on Tuesday, which is about 15 miles from our house. It probably would have still taken us a while to drive since you have to go through downtown (lots of lights, traffic, etc.), but it surely wouldn't have taken us an hour and fifteen minutes.
And then there are the crazies. Why do crazies, of any nation, seem to love public transport so much? They flock to it like moths to a streetlight - and like the moths, it seems to get worse at night. On our way back from the RSPCA meeting, we rode with crazy headphone-listening, singing-along, air-drumming guy who approached two other strange looking passengers and then commenced to stare at them for the duration of the ride, only taking breaks for impressive air drumming solos. Who are these people? Can't they keep quiet for 30 minutes while the ride the tram with the rest of us? I suppose that asks too much.
The funny thing is, we got off the tram when the air-drummer relocated to the seat right next to us, only to encounter crazy, drugged out, screaming-at-the-air-right-next-to-her lady on the street downtown. As she approached from behind, I felt uncomfortable being within audible range of this "fight" this woman was having, obviously with someone dear to her, over the cell phone. I then felt even more awkward to discover that there was no cell phone involved. Maybe I don't like big cities, sheesh. Or, maybe I just need a car to acquire the level of isolation from these crazies that I'm used to. Then there's always: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I think I would be a rather talented air drummer...
6 comments:
I've missed talking to you on the blog Angie. Sounds like windy, fourteen story buildings can be painful for the imaginations of structural engineers? We can all manage things that go bump in the night...,however, Die Hard implosions of buildings are not bumps in the night.
Travel on public transportation is always a sociological experiment. Does everyone use it in Melbourne...I mean a good cross-section of the culture...or is it more frequented by the eccentric individuals you described. Sounds like there was a band in the guys head (maybe for years). Loved the photo's you published...Hope the job hunting is going.
To be fair and to answer the question above - from Chris?, who is anonymous? - public transport is mostly totally normal people just going to work, lunch, etc. But in a sea of fish, you see a shark coming from a mile away if you know what I mean. Shark makes these people sound necessarily dangerous, maybe drowning mosquito? Is that too morbid? Clumsy eel? I need to get off the analogies...
I guess the goofy weirdos of the world gravitate towards public transportation because they're not allowed to drive. Good thing. Too bad normal travelers have to put up with that.
Hey - wouldn't you play the air GUITAR??
Well, good luck with the job and car hunting. Stay safe! WUD!
While looking at the crazies, one can only imagine the horrors that have occurred in their lives to get them to that point. Taking a moment to understand another person's plight does not necessarily mean that being around them is pleasant. Yes, get a car.
You want to see some crazies come visit me! I feel that the people in Melbourne are generally more well adjusted than a lot of people here in NY anyway 15 miles in an hour fifteen is pretty good. About what you would hit here in NY.
Wooo HOOOO
Ummm..I was caught off guard by your previous post as well (to second Adele). Are you two jogging each morning? I thought you hated exercise! Don't we all though?
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