Ok. Last post I was talking about my very noble friend who faced a choice between family and his comrades. And I talked about choosing between two good things. That was on the train going to work. Now I am on the train home in the quiet car. I sat next to a guy who seemed pissed off to share the seat. Ten minutes after we leave the station, he takes a call. I let him know we are in the quiet car. His response is to say "Chill out will ya" and stomp away out of the car.
Which means, he is among the small but constant group of people who sit in the quiet car so they won't have to listen to other people's calls. What they want is the "Quiet Except for ME Car."
As opposed to the person choosing between two good things and doing the right thing, these people--the ones who know very well they are sitting in the quiet car--want the world to revolve around them. They have every opportunity to choose to do the right thing and choose to be jerks instead.
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I think it's remarkable that, with so many commuters and so many technology-dependent folks there can even be such a thing as a "quiet car" on a public transit system. I'm glad he got up and left, though, but wish he'd done so without grumbling or making that rude comment.
ReplyDeleteOn a rural note, we're so far between places and no trains available I don't have that problem in the strictest sense. But, I do sometimes try to have a "quiet car" whenever I have to go anywhere, but sometimes with three very happy, talkative, technology-savvy nephews in there it's next to impossible to achieve quiet. Then, too, I can't leave and go to another car while I'm driving, and banging my head against the steering wheel doesn't even phase them anymore.
I hope your next commute in the quiet car is a better experience. Here in rural MO the only trains we ever hear are ghost ones, unless we get close to the freight yards at Kansas City. That may change one day, though.
I try to teach my children to behave just the opposite of your friendly seat neighbor. A week ago my kids( 11 and 7) were patiently waiting on a looooong line to pay the water they had just bought, while I pretended I wasn´t paying attention. A middle aged woman just threw herself in front of them and every other person who was waiting. My son, Luigi said: " Madam, there is a line here." She looked at him just like if he was an ET and replied. " Don´t you see I could be your mom? I´m older, you can wait." My son replied: " Yes, you could be my mom, but if you were, would you teach me that the polite behavior of all the people behind us is good for them and not for you?".
ReplyDeleteShe left immediately, stomping her feet, with the people who would not protest her rudeness, laughing that a kid could do it.
I think they learned something good, and so did her.