A new low today folks.
I am sitting in a 6 seater on the lower floor of the carriage.
I am being eyeballed by a lady sitting directly opposite me. She has the same look of horror, disgust and revulsion that I’m sure is on my face. I must admit that bile is rising in my throat too as I watch in horror, disgust and revulsion the ablutions of the man sitting next to her.
Firstly he very thoroughly cleaned out each nostril by inserting his index finger up to the second knuckle and scraping around in there until he found an offending article, grabbed it and transferred it to his tissue. (Most people would blow their nose perhaps or even surreptitiously pick their nose with the tissue, this kind of spring clean should be reserved for the privacy of his own home)
Next and by far the worst, he fished around in the side pocket of his brief case and brought out a plastic bag with cotton buds in it. He then proceeded to clean each ear with it.
Words fail to describe the revulsion he inspired in those passengers unlucky to be near enough to see this incredible display.
He is like a prospector digging around in his ear canal searching for gold (I’m not going there don’t worry). His eyes are glazed with ecstasy as he scratches around in there and I keep expecting him to fall over on his back with his leg shaking any minute.
Our train is a fast one this morning, not only is he a filthy, bad mannered creep but he is being a fool by doing something like that when the train is travelling so fast. One jolt and he could end up with cotton bud on the brain.
OMG!! He is doing an inspection….grub. His eyes are refocusing and suddenly he becomes aware of the looks of his fellow travellers. There is no trace of embarrassment as he calmly packs his cotton bud away, takes out his comb and combs his hair.
Is there no end to the vapid displays of grooming, picking, scratching and personal adjusting that people will share with the general population? Especially in such close quarters. I have seen so many examples of people, who are quite frankly, scum, who are willing to give everyone a birds eye view of things that should never leave a bathroom with a lock on the door.
When did stuff like this become ok to inflict on us?
Saturday 7 June 2008
Preggers and the Hag
This morning I grabbed the fast train and by some miracle I got a seat in the vestibule area
I immediately immersed myself in my book, luxuriating in having a seat, being able to read my book and getting to work ½ hour early.
The train pulled into a stop some time later and I was shaken out of my reverie as the girl next to me got up to give a pregnant girl her seat.
‘What a nice girl’ I thought , its usually me who gets up, beauty. I looked up, caught her eye and smiled my ‘you are a nice person smile’ at her. I then did my cursory eyeballing of the lazy, bad mannered, scum bucket men who were still seated and had no intention of getting up and prepared to settle back and drift back into my book.
Preggers swung into the seat like a flash without a smile or a word of thanks, then – inexplicably – began to speak to the girl next to her. (I’ll call her hag as that is just another name for the witch that she is)
That’s weird, preggers is talking to her about mutual friends….they are acquainted?...
I can’t read now, I listen to their conversation and realise that they not only do they know each other they catch the train together every day. But that isn’t the issue; they contrive each day to make the person sitting next to hag get up and give their seat to preggers and they are discussing it right in front of the person they hoodwinked.
I know that preggers is probably tired and doesn’t like standing up all the way into the city but she really doesn’t give anyone any choice as she sticks her belly right up in their face while she pretends not to know the hag. Preggers and the hag don’t actually speak until she secures a seat.
Whilst I can understand her not wanting to be on her feet for any longer than she has to be, I can’t help but wonder why hag isn’t offering up her seat. If preggers is ignored and all her efforts to guilt trip someone into giving up their seat fails, does she speak to hag at all and does hag get up and offer preggers her seat? I doubt it, in fact I know she doesn’t. So hag would rather make someone else offer her friend a seat? What a low life!
I sneak a look at the Good Samaritan who is now standing, she is furious.
Samaritan got her seat back at Redfern, we both smiled and she said (under her breath) ‘never again!!’
I replied ‘well never again for her’
We both knew that we would give our seat to someone in need next time but what these people don’t realise is that every time they pull a stunt like that it kills off a little compassion in those who are kind enough to get up. Eventually the inconsiderate behaviour become the norm and we then ignore anyone who might need assistance.
It takes the spontaneity out of goodwill gestures. People who are rude make you think twice about doing something thoughtful for someone the next time. Its not that we want or expect thanks its just that not giving it demeans the gesture.
I think about this a lot while I’m on the train. I see such bad manners and bad behaviour from supposedly civilised people that I often feel like just getting off and finding a job in the country.
What happened to manners? Consideration for others?
People are right when they say that Sydneysiders are rude and thoughtless. Not all of course (Lord forgive me for generalising) but it does appear to be a regular way to behave.
When you work full time you always see the elderly, pregnant women, disabled people etc standing because able bodied younger people wont offer a seat, I do understand why…we are tired, we have been working all day, we get up early and travel for at least 40 minutes on a crowded, stuffy, filthy and smelly train - But – so have they. I heard one woman say to her friend one day that pregnant women shouldn’t catch peak hour trains if they expect to sit down. Wow what a selfish, self centred cow.
I immediately immersed myself in my book, luxuriating in having a seat, being able to read my book and getting to work ½ hour early.
The train pulled into a stop some time later and I was shaken out of my reverie as the girl next to me got up to give a pregnant girl her seat.
‘What a nice girl’ I thought , its usually me who gets up, beauty. I looked up, caught her eye and smiled my ‘you are a nice person smile’ at her. I then did my cursory eyeballing of the lazy, bad mannered, scum bucket men who were still seated and had no intention of getting up and prepared to settle back and drift back into my book.
Preggers swung into the seat like a flash without a smile or a word of thanks, then – inexplicably – began to speak to the girl next to her. (I’ll call her hag as that is just another name for the witch that she is)
That’s weird, preggers is talking to her about mutual friends….they are acquainted?...
I can’t read now, I listen to their conversation and realise that they not only do they know each other they catch the train together every day. But that isn’t the issue; they contrive each day to make the person sitting next to hag get up and give their seat to preggers and they are discussing it right in front of the person they hoodwinked.
I know that preggers is probably tired and doesn’t like standing up all the way into the city but she really doesn’t give anyone any choice as she sticks her belly right up in their face while she pretends not to know the hag. Preggers and the hag don’t actually speak until she secures a seat.
Whilst I can understand her not wanting to be on her feet for any longer than she has to be, I can’t help but wonder why hag isn’t offering up her seat. If preggers is ignored and all her efforts to guilt trip someone into giving up their seat fails, does she speak to hag at all and does hag get up and offer preggers her seat? I doubt it, in fact I know she doesn’t. So hag would rather make someone else offer her friend a seat? What a low life!
I sneak a look at the Good Samaritan who is now standing, she is furious.
Samaritan got her seat back at Redfern, we both smiled and she said (under her breath) ‘never again!!’
I replied ‘well never again for her’
We both knew that we would give our seat to someone in need next time but what these people don’t realise is that every time they pull a stunt like that it kills off a little compassion in those who are kind enough to get up. Eventually the inconsiderate behaviour become the norm and we then ignore anyone who might need assistance.
It takes the spontaneity out of goodwill gestures. People who are rude make you think twice about doing something thoughtful for someone the next time. Its not that we want or expect thanks its just that not giving it demeans the gesture.
I think about this a lot while I’m on the train. I see such bad manners and bad behaviour from supposedly civilised people that I often feel like just getting off and finding a job in the country.
What happened to manners? Consideration for others?
People are right when they say that Sydneysiders are rude and thoughtless. Not all of course (Lord forgive me for generalising) but it does appear to be a regular way to behave.
When you work full time you always see the elderly, pregnant women, disabled people etc standing because able bodied younger people wont offer a seat, I do understand why…we are tired, we have been working all day, we get up early and travel for at least 40 minutes on a crowded, stuffy, filthy and smelly train - But – so have they. I heard one woman say to her friend one day that pregnant women shouldn’t catch peak hour trains if they expect to sit down. Wow what a selfish, self centred cow.
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