Train Friends

Catching the same train every day at the same time and sitting in the same carriage means you see the same people every day.  People are creatures of habit and I am no exception to this.  Every morning, I will line up to get into the last carriage of the “7:10am” train at Glenbrook station with my fellow commuters.  There are two other men, both in their 50’s at least who do the same as I.  Last carriage, up the top deck, 7:10am.  We lead exactly the same morning transport lives.

Now of course doing this 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year means that you become “friends” with these fellow commuters.  By friends I mean you start out each morning in sullen silence.  Then after 6 months you have worked up to a quick nod.  6 months after that you do the nod followed by a brisk “morning” call.  Now this has been happening as per the timetable I described until one night last week, when coming home on a late train in the evening (the 8pm from Central to the mountains) I bump into one of my Last Carriage Buddies.

How strange!  I see this man every morning.  He doesn’t exist in the evenings!  So it’s a nod and a quick “evening” call and I pass him by to take my seat.

But that’s changed the dynamic you see.  I have acknowledged him outside of the “morning routine”.  The relationship has taken a different direction.

Two days later, as we wait for the late running train after we exchanged the morning call and nod, this man turns to me and says “Do you often catch that late train home in the evening?”  He broke the “Commuter Seal” and now he is enquiring of my well being!  We are now more than fellow commuters.

Since that breaking of the seal, my morning solitude of waiting (and waiting!) for this train has turned into pleasant dialogues about the weather, the virtues of driving to the city and snow (he is English and considers himself an expert on snow).  It’s all very pleasant and we as humans have this need to communicate but you know, I miss the morning solitude.

And on top of all this, the other guy has gone into his shell and I hardly get a nod from him at all these days….

(And for you train spotters who read this, the train was 7 mins on time this morning)