| HARMONY/DISCORD |
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| With all due respect to Raoul Bhaneja, an erstwhile excellent blues musician, I rue the day that �Train 48" began airing on Global TV. It may seem purely coincidental, but ever since this program started, I have noticed a marked increase in �broadcasted� conversations on the GO train first in the morning (7:00 a.m.). Boarding in Hamilton, en route to Union Station, I am usually able to enjoy some peaceful serenity at least until Burlington, at which point the sickeningly chirpy commuters of that exalted borough (and Oakville, too) begin their steady tirade of verbal terrorism lasting well over an hour. Yes, I fully admit I am cranky in the mornings, especially on work days. This stems from the extracurricular activities (e.g. cooking dinner, spending time with family members, personal hygiene, and running a community-based website promoting tourism) that I must cram into a mere five-hour period just to get to bed by midnight, which usually extends much later than that. Judging by my long-running daily observations on the trains, the majority of passengers would seem to be on my side in this regard, as there are usually only one or two seat-quartets on a car who insist on spewing their loud, non-stop, no doubt caffeine-induced, verbal diarrhea. Some days, the volume level is extreme enough to be heard clearly from one end of the car to the other! Now that I am finished griping, I�d like to offer a solution. I propose that GO Transit designate �library cars�, say, every second one, to start. These cars would be reserved for people who want to read, write, sleep or otherwise maintain a respectually silent disposition before approaching the manic hustle-bustle of Union Station. The �party cars� would give free rein to passengers who are into early-morning socializing or just want to wake themselves up to the sound of a cranked-up portable stereo. Speaking of Union Station, I�d also like to propose that dividing lines or grids, with directional arrows, be painted on the floors and stairs in that hallowed hall. This is for those people who have not caught on to the concept of walking to the right, patterned after two-way vehicular traffic. Considering I spend almost half as much time commuting back and forth as I do actually being at work, I don�t think this is too much to ask, especially with yet another upcoming fare increase. D. M. Wells |
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| SHOULD I JUST GO WITH THE FLOW? (Also published in Outreach Connection - April 9-15/04) |
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