Summer school is so weird. The shortness of the session freaks me out. To think that there are only 4 substantial weeks left in the semester is awkward. Especially when you've only taken one major test in each class. Which leaves 2 or 3 more for the final 4 weeks. Which most likely means there will be a test or two every week from now until the end of the semester. Fun.
On to the main event: so let's talk public transportation. Specifically, the metro (or, as in the Atlanta area, the MARTA rail lines)... I have a few things that I've noticed. One of these niennerz pointed out at one time a long time ago (I think). If there's a newspaper laying on an empty chair, no one will sit in that chair. Even if there are three empty chairs around it, no one will sit in that general area until the train starts filling up. After which, the seats around it will become occupied, but the newspaper will still act as if it were a passenger. No one makes an effort to move it. They will stand rather than toss the paper aside.
I wonder what this tells us about human psychology? I think it all boils down to the fact that humans are innately irrational creatures. Despite all the advances towards becoming more rational, there are some things we cannot escape. No one makes an effort to move that newspaper in order to have a seat. Instead, they like to stand and do their metro-surf (where people wobble back and forth attempting to keep their balance) which expends more energy than if they were sitting down. Move a newspaper vs. metro-surf... I wonder which expends more energy.
The awkwardness factor. No one wants to be the one who's seen moving a sheet of paper just to get a seat. Why? Because other people might think them lazy! In order to prove they are not lazy, they will stand. Because sitting implies that you are lazy, right? Maybe... But I guess another thing is that it is always awkward to sit down directly next to someone (Same thing happens in bathroom stalls, but that's another story). The more subtly you sit down next to an occupied seat, the less awkward it is. To move a newspaper would immediately destroy any subtlety of trying to sit down. Automatically means that seat is off bounds. No longer shall anyone occupy that seat until the janitors come around.
NEXT TOPIC! Drifting walkers. No, not like a car drift, but more like a wandering walk. Let's first define this drift-walker. Have you ever walked behind a person who was traveling in the general direction that you are, but at the same time includes random lateral movement? Let's say you and this drift-walker are walking in a line, you behind them. The drift-walker will regularly stray from the line, either slightly left or slightly right. The problem is, unlike drunks who have exaggerated movements, these drift-walkers' lateral movement is so subtle that it becomes unpredictable. Do you now know the type? If you don't, it's you. JUST KIDDING! So why did I spend a paragraph explaining this? You shall see.
So every day I take MARTA to get to class. It's not exactly fun, but it's cheaper than using the car and gas these days. Here's the situation. Coming from the parking lot, I need to get to the stairs to go up (yeah, it's not exactly an underground metro, but an above-ground train system) to the platform. There is a lady in front of me. Issue #1 that I have with her placement. She is directly in the middle of the walkway. Do you ever have those moments when you are walking along and someone else is walking in the other direction and when you meet you're not sure if you should pass on the left or on the right? (I hate those situations too) Most of these situations could easily be avoided if people walked in the same manner that cars drive on roads. Directional traffic should be designated as either the left side of the walkway, or the right. Back to the situation. This lady walks kind of slow. And the MARTA train has been sitting at the station for a good while - meaning it should be leaving soon - I need to get to the train.
I need to pass this lady who is walking slowly to get to the train. The problem is that people have comfort zones (Have you met people who insist on standing completely too close for comfort? They're all up in your face and they don't seem bothered by it, but you are. They are making you feel uncomfortable) I try to respect this comfort zone even when walking - especially when there is no one else around (It'd be odd to walk right next to someone you don't know when there's a lot of extra space around). Thus, I come up in my mind the quickest and least awkward means of passing people when I need to. (Am I anal?.. I swear I'm really not, I'm just really bored sometimes. Lookie, I'm not the only one who does something like this!) Sure sure, everything would be absolutely peachy. Except now the Chekov's rule comes into play.
The problem is that this lady is a drift-walker. I can no longer predict where she will be going and thus I cannot assess the best possible path to take in order to keep myself distanced from the comfort zone. So, three things come together to form this awkward situation. One (1) She was walking slowly. Two (2) She was walking in the center of the walkway (whether that was by choice or if she accidentally drifted into this area - I don't know). And Three (3) The drift-walking throws off all predictions of where she may be by the time I start to pass her. Awkward situation alert! I have been obstructed and foiled. The only choice I had was to just pick one and go for it. I'm not even sure if it was a 50-50 chance of success or not. Is it? If any of the 3 factors was not in effect, this situation would not have occurred. *sigh
Sorry I wasted your time. I ended up taking the path on the right even though it was longer because I figured that she was heading towards the stairs as well, thus closing the gap available on the left. The right was the more rational approach to the problem. Until next time. Enjoy life!
