It's interesting how coloured your perception of society and people and manners is from regular travel on public transport. I walk/cycle to work, and before that I drove to work. I've never really taken public transport anywhere regular, except to college when I didn't have my driving licence yet.
And yet, I worked retail for 5 years, in a scummy shop, in a scummy part of town, and I remember how much it eroded my patience, and my good will, and my faith in humanity. The amount of abuse I took in that position was frankly unbelievable. But mostly, decent people didn't go there much. Neither to that kind of shop or that part of town. I wasn't seeing a fair representation of society.
Of course it could be said I'm still not seeing a fair representation of society now. I drive around, I see friends, I see shops, I see an office staffed with hundreds of incredibly bright and talented individuals. My outlook on life is very optimistic and positive, I like this country, I don't see it in some kind of death spiral of social values. I don't watch or read the news very much. Lately Twitter reminds me if I missed anything big. I live my life, with what I have, who I have, and aside from money woes, I'm happy.
Maybe I'm too ignorant of the ills of the world, or maybe I'm avoiding being dragged down by that which I have very little power to change. And maybe I'm just real lucky I've never had to partake much in public transport.
no subject
And yet, I worked retail for 5 years, in a scummy shop, in a scummy part of town, and I remember how much it eroded my patience, and my good will, and my faith in humanity. The amount of abuse I took in that position was frankly unbelievable. But mostly, decent people didn't go there much. Neither to that kind of shop or that part of town. I wasn't seeing a fair representation of society.
Of course it could be said I'm still not seeing a fair representation of society now. I drive around, I see friends, I see shops, I see an office staffed with hundreds of incredibly bright and talented individuals. My outlook on life is very optimistic and positive, I like this country, I don't see it in some kind of death spiral of social values. I don't watch or read the news very much. Lately Twitter reminds me if I missed anything big. I live my life, with what I have, who I have, and aside from money woes, I'm happy.
Maybe I'm too ignorant of the ills of the world, or maybe I'm avoiding being dragged down by that which I have very little power to change. And maybe I'm just real lucky I've never had to partake much in public transport.