Recently train travel on a Sunday has been rather unpleasant. Every week the time table is different and I often have to make 3 changes, taking over 4 hours to travel to Leicester. Yesterdays was the worst in a while, with a coach to Darlington, followed by a train to Doncaster, then a little regional train to Sheffield (the seats on those things always smell of sweat) and finally a packed Midland Mainline train to Leicester.
I have also noticed that I've talked to less people on my recent journeys and I am beginning to wonder why that is. I used to chat to at least one person per trip, but now people will hardly make eye contact with me, let alone chat. Is it because I now do this journey so frequently that I look like an angry commuter rather than an approachable traveller? Is my knitting reppelling people? Am I just so absorbed in knitting, or reading or whatever than I never give anyone the opportunity? The only thing I can see that is different is that I had my hair cut short, but surely that can't be it. Do short haired women look less friendly than long haired ones?
It bothers me a bit. I used to enjoy meeting people on the train and having a bit of a chat. Often I found that people would start conversations with me about what I was knitting or reading. It passes the time on. I hate the enforced silence you get when you're in such close quarters with strangers. Maybe I'll try harder to look approachable next time and see what happens.
3 comments:
I think phones are to blame for less sociable travel. I wear earphones not because I especially want to listen to music all the journey but I need to have something to block out everyone else's phone conversations. I am sure this makes me less approachable.
My biggest bugbear on trains is the amount of people, grown up men and women, who seem to prefer playing with their phone to reading a book or a newspaper. You see so few people reading a proper newspaper these days rather than playing games on their phone. Grrrrr.
Even more worrying, I've had 3 journeys recently where groups of grown men have actually been playing music through speakers, loud enough for everyone to hear. Only once out of the three times was anyone brave enough to say something.
ooo that’s just sheer arrogance thinking everyone else would want to listen to the same thing as them!
I LOVE listening to other people phone conversations on trains- but only if it's really juicy and I can make out what is going on!
Maybe you just look so consumed in your knitting people don't want to distract you. You don't look scary to me. Try poking someone with a knitting needle- that should start a conversation!
Lucy
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