Well Trained

Brought to you by my new involvement with public transportation.

As you know by now, I’m not driving my car to my new job. I ride the train from near Sensational Acres to near the office each morning. On class days, I take a bus from near the office to the front door of the T’ai Chi studio, and a friend drops me at a train station after class. On non-class days, I take the train straight home from downtown.

In general, I like these arrangements. Getting home at 11:00 on Monday nights and 10:00 on Tuesdays is kinda rough, but only about half an hour later than I got home when I drove. I miss the cushion of personal space guaranteed by driving one’s own car — and the actual seat cushion, for that matter. I also miss listening to entire CDs in a single trip; now I have time to hear just a song or two during my brief time in the car. (When I figure out how to use the mp3 player function on my new Treo, this will change.)

I’ve had to learn some adaptive behaviors to suit the new circumstances. Such as:

• I can stop wondering whether the train or bus is coming. It is. There’s always another one coming. That’s what makes trains and buses something other than funny-looking private vehicles.
  
• When waiting, I must stand upwind of smokers. There are a surprising number of them about.
  
• The train and bus are going to stop at stops other than mine whether I like it or not. This is part of the deal and I should not scowl when it happens. Control issues? What control issues?
  
• If I want the bus to stop at my corner, I should signal a block in advance, not as we go zooming past it.
  
• I must choose seats with space beneath them for my mammoth gear bag. It’s too big and too dirty to be held on my lap.
  
• Because I board early in each route, I should take the window seat right away so people boarding later don’t have to crawl over me to get to it.
  
• The train accelerates and decelerates smoothly, so I can stand up safely while it’s leaving or arriving at a stop. The reverse is true on the bus.
  
• Nobody likes a line holder-upper. I keep my train/bus pass and a stash of quarters in a handy place for quick access.
  
• Whatever I’m reading will be neither the most highbrow nor the most lowbrow printed matter aboard, so I can quit showing off the Treo manual.
  
• The guy on the #16 bus that likes to hold women’s hands but does not speak is odd but harmless. I can ignore him.
  
• The woman on the #16 bus that carries on a loud, one-sided conversation with the driver regarding the behavior of the other passengers is just plain annoying. I cannot ignore her. She’s too loud. But I can refrain from correcting her.
  
• Not all the people talking to themselves are crazy; some are using tiny cell phone headsets. I should not rush to judgment without searching for wires first.
  
• Even just a few blocks is too far to walk in unsuitable shoes. I wear tennies to and from the office and on my lunchtime rambles and reserve the lady shoes for the office.
  
• My deodorant works. Not everyone I ride with can make that claim. Sometimes I must breathe shallowly.
  

Today around the world: April 13 is International Special Librarian’s Day. If you know any special librarians, make them feel international today, and if you know any international ones, make them feel special.