Had an interesting trip home today. I don't know what it is but you always seem to get into really interesting chats when you bother to interact with strangers. I had one such experience this afternoon on the way back home from work..
The train was delayed, as usual and the thronging masses were increasing by the minute. It was going to be a hot and uncomfortable journey.
Anyway, we got about three stops out and I found myself shuffled next to the door in the strange but customary train stop dance. The one where people always seem to change position at each stop and unsuspecting commuters find themselves quickly in the door spot. The spot where you have to get off and on the train at each stop so that other people can get out. Grrrr....
So, at this particular stop I got out as per usual, let people off and then attempted to get back on again. Except, something was pulling me back. I heard a voice from behind me say "You'll be alright now". I turned around and this old lady was gesturing to my suit jacket. It had got caught on the door handle of the train.
I thanked her and we started chatting. She told me about when she was young in Sydney and they had trams in those days... There was a guy who spent six months wreaking havoc on the trams by creating hooks out of paper clips and hooking people together.
The fashion then was for women to carry string bags and this guy would hook these bags on to peoples buttons. She told me that people used to stand on the trams holding down their clothes while protecting their bags. This guy wasn't stealing anything, he was just doing it for fun.
Like I say, he was finally caught after six months but just the fact that he set out to be so mischievous made me chuckle.
Always interesting chatting to strangers. Try it sometime.
