# "We met on the train."



## Flea (Feb 14, 2011)

For those of us using mass transit, here's a fun story for Valentine's Day.



> Brenda Drutcher, Rick Tappan
> 
> Their station: Shady Grove
> 
> ...


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## MA-Caver (Feb 15, 2011)

Flea said:


> For those of us using mass transit, here's a fun story for Valentine's Day.


It is sad but true... we've lapsed into a society where it's "leave me alone, don't talk to me, don't touch me, don't do ANYTHING with me unless it's at my/your place of business... and so on" .... 

I chat up people all the time just to make friendly quick banter... t'ain't skeerd ... if someone has a problem with that ... guess what... it's THEIR problem, and I feel sorry for them. 

Thanks for sharing that... lets people know that it's OK to be human and to be friendly.


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## Bruno@MT (Feb 15, 2011)

I am not a very talkative person, and most people who do know me would be surprised to learn that I have no problem talking at length with total strangers, be it on the train or whatever. Most people are happy enough to engage in conversation. The people who aren't make it clear soon enough and I shut up.

On the train you often see the same people again and again.
If you start with 'good morning' when someone sits down across you, you'll generally end up talking. Maybe not the first time because people these days are indeed a bit wary of talking to strangers, but after a couple of times they'll 'know' you.


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## MA-Caver (Feb 15, 2011)

Bruno@MT said:


> I am not a very talkative person, and most people who do know me would be surprised to learn that I have no problem talking at length with total strangers, be it on the train or whatever. Most people are happy enough to engage in conversation. The people who aren't make it clear soon enough and I shut up.
> 
> On the train you often see the same people again and again.
> If you start with 'good morning' when someone sits down across you, you'll generally end up talking. Maybe not the first time because people these days are indeed a bit wary of talking to strangers, but after a couple of times they'll 'know' you.


My brother takes a two hour long (one way) commute on a train to work (in D.C.) and he says that there is a nice clique of acquaintances on board. Usually enroute home on fridays they have a informal party... they actually get concerned when a person doesn't show up at their usual boarding stop... then are happy to see them when they show up.
I guess when you're with the same people 5 days a week 4 hours a day you get over the "stranger-danger" and just make friends. 

Obama talks about having a (LONG OVER DUE) bullet train running across this country... wonder if it ever happens will similar cliques be created as folks commute from NY to LA ? 
Be interesting neh?


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## Flea (Feb 15, 2011)

I had an enlightening experience last week.

I was walking across my apartment complex last Monday night when I saw a middle-aged woman walking her dog.  I'm not normally one to engage total strangers, but something prompted me to talk to her.  I used the cliche ice-breaker of complimenting her dog, and we made a couple minutes of idle chitchat.

The following morning I rode the bus across town to make a job interview.  As I got off the bus I asked a random pedestrian for directions - guess who it turned out to be?  As it happens, she works for the same agency I interviewed for, and over the course of a five minute walk she gave me the lowdown on who's who, and current hot issues going on behind closed doors.  Last night as I rode home from an event downtown, I happened to sit next to her again.

So I'm thinking there's something deeper going on here - one of us is supposed to learn something important from the other, or we'll have some kind of unique relationship.  Why else would we keep getting lumped together at random?  I look forward to seeing where this goes.


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## Flea (Feb 15, 2011)

MA-Caver said:


> Obama talks about having a (LONG OVER DUE) bullet train running across this country... wonder if it ever happens will similar cliques be created as folks commute from NY to LA ?
> Be interesting neh?



I urgently hope this comes to fruition.  I think there may be an extra public push nowadays as people object to .. certain aspects .. of flying.  For myself, I simply refuse to fly under the circumstances.  Ever again.


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## crushing (Feb 15, 2011)

MA-Caver said:


> Obama talks about having a (LONG OVER DUE) bullet train running across this country... wonder if it ever happens will similar cliques be created as folks commute from NY to LA ?
> Be interesting neh?


 
It seems like it would be more efficient to see a psychiatrist to take care of whatever is keeping a person from taking a few hours to fly cross country rather than a couple days train ride.  Although, it would be nice to take the train ride once to get a closer look at the country.

Hill & Knowlton are doing a great job, that's for sure.


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## Bruno@MT (Feb 15, 2011)

If the thing that is causing a person to refrain from flight is not fear of flying but a loathing for the TSA gropers and their choice between having your nude pic taken or be molested, then talking to a psychiatrist won't be much help.


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## Flea (Feb 15, 2011)

Here's another fun article.



> PHILADELPHIA (AP)  When people ask Krisy Plourde and Tom Golden where they got married, their answer will be a rough estimate: somewhere around 46th Street.
> Plourde and Golden said their vows aboard an elevated train on Sunday, just ahead of Valentine's Day.
> The nuptials, performed by Mayor Michael Nutter, took place on a special train from City Hall to west Philadelphia. While Plourde and Golden, both 28, were being wed in the first car, about 360 other riders were getting a narrated tour of the "Love Letter" series of rooftop murals that parallel the tracks. [ ... ] Performing a marriage on the train was a first for the mayor. Yet perhaps it brought him full circle: Nutter said he started dating his now-wife after an unexpected meeting on the El about 21 years ago.



I've been commuting by bus for about three weeks now, and I've run the gamut of social experiences.  There was my future co-worker :whip1: I mentioned above.  There was the hornet's nest of Mean Girls who boarded and took over one day when high school let out (never taking _that _bus again.  )  Yesterday I saw a guy having an erudite bilingual conversation with an unseen friend, flipping between English and fluent ASL.  I thought that was pretty cool.

The other night there was a welcoming committee of three adorable 16yo girls occupying the front seats.  Everyone got a friendly greeting and sincere small talk.  I think that's been my favorite so far.

I've been very impressed with the transit options in my city.  It has a population of about 160K, so distances are small.  With every trip downtown taking about 25 minutes and buses leaving downtown simultaneously every half hour, that means very short wait times.  The bike paths around here are excellent too.  So far I'm a happy camper.


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## crushing (Feb 15, 2011)

Bruno@MT said:


> If the thing that is causing a person to refrain from flight is not fear of flying but a loathing for the TSA gropers and their choice between having your nude pic taken or be molested, then talking to a psychiatrist won't be much help.


 
There will be TSA, naked body scanning, and groping at the train stations.  The safety of Americans will require it.  If a plane is taken out by a terrorist, other planes can still fly the route.  If a train is taken out, it stops all traffic on the route until the mess is cleared.  So, you see, trains will require even more and tighter security measures to keep the flow of freight, and even people, moving.


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## CoryKS (Feb 15, 2011)

> Ride of your life: "My advice to those people on the Metro that 'don't talk' is to lighten up," says Brenda."You never know when it might be your soul mate you may be missing out on meeting."


 

I don't know what it is, but people who use the phrase 'lighten up' make me stabby.


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## WC_lun (Feb 15, 2011)

I actually met my wife on a plane flight. As she sat down next to me I commented that I was glad she was not a 300lb, fat, sweaty, man.  She looked me in the eye and said "Me too."


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## David43515 (Feb 15, 2011)

Hey, _I`M_ a fat 300 pound man and I don`t sweat.......I snore. Still, glad you two found each other and it`s worked out.


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## girlbug2 (Feb 16, 2011)

"My advice to those people on the Metro that 'don't talk' is to lighten up," says Brenda."You never know when it might be your soul mate you may be missing out on meeting."

OTOH, if one already has a soul mate, where's the motivation?


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## CoryKS (Feb 16, 2011)

CoryKS said:


> I don't know what it is, but people who use the phrase 'lighten up' make me stabby.


 
Now that I think about it, people who use the phrase 'soul mate' make me stabby too.


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## Ken Morgan (Feb 16, 2011)

There are 7 billion people in the world, odds are very good you have serveral thousand potental partners, who some people would consider soul mates, somewhere in the world. Thats why if you want a relationship, you never give up.


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## crushing (Feb 16, 2011)

Ken Morgan said:


> There are 7 billion people in the world, odds are very good you have serveral thousand potental partners, who some people would consider soul mates, somewhere in the world. Thats why if you want a relationship, you never give up.


 
Aren't you going to credit Wilt Chamberlain for this quote?


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## Ken Morgan (Feb 16, 2011)

crushing said:


> Aren't you going to credit Wilt Chamberlain for this quote?


 
LOL.
That's very good!
Not what I was getting at though!


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## Flea (Feb 16, 2011)

There are 7 billion people on this planet.  That means that even you're a one in a million kind of person, there are 7000 people _exactly_ like you.


:whip1:


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## Ken Morgan (Feb 16, 2011)

You're unique, just like everyone else....


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## jks9199 (Feb 16, 2011)

MA-Caver said:


> It is sad but true... we've lapsed into a society where it's "leave me alone, don't talk to me, don't touch me, don't do ANYTHING with me unless it's at my/your place of business... and so on" ....
> 
> I chat up people all the time just to make friendly quick banter... t'ain't skeerd ... if someone has a problem with that ... guess what... it's THEIR problem, and I feel sorry for them.
> 
> Thanks for sharing that... lets people know that it's OK to be human and to be friendly.


There are lots of reasons people don't talk to strangers on the Washington Metropolitan Transit System.  Not only do you have a very diverse clientele there -- but you've got a lot of people who are very Type A, very dedicated to work -- and often who can't talk about work.  Lots of DC still shuts down my 9:00 or 10:00 PM on week nights.


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## granfire (Feb 16, 2011)

Flea said:


> There are 7 billion people on this planet.  That means that even you're a one in a million kind of person, there are 7000 people _exactly_ like you.
> 
> 
> :whip1:



Scary thought!


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