The Train In Vain: Sharing Commuting Stories

How many times have I ranted about the quiet car and the blatant disregard people have for others? How many times have I sat in that car, needing some down time after a long day, only to have to listen to some blowhard drone on and on about nothing in particular for the entire ride?

It occurred to me that maybe the failure of the quiet car program is due to the method. Maybe there should be a Mobile Phone Car, or a Blabber Car instead! I can't believe I never thought of this before.

Put all the pariahs in one place. Everyone wins.

Louise? Can you hear me?

Did you just see "Wicked" on Broadway? Was it awesome? Do you feel a need to call everyone you know and explain how the witches became evil? Sit in the Blabber Car!

Do you have a multi-million dollar transaction that needs to be executed pronto? Do you have many instructions to give your broker? Sit in the Blabber Car!

Do you need to discuss detailed, sensitive, and private medical matters in the company of 100 strangers? Sit in the Blabber Car!

Do you know what you're having for dinner? No? Talk for the entire commute about it! Where are you going to do this? In the... BLABBER CAR!

Yes, the Blabber Car. The Blabber Car can be to commuters what smoking areas outside office buildings are to workers. A place for people to indulge the bad habits that intrude on the lives of those who don't indulge in such habits.

If you want to talk on the phone while commuting, you have OPTIONS. You can go to the Blabber Car and talk about nothing for as long as you want, while the rest of us read, nap, or work in peace.

The best part of my idea is that the Blabber Car could be the last car of the train. If you're in the second to last car, and the Blabber Car gets so loud that you can hear the din, you can just walk between the cars, pull the connector pin, and leave the Blabber Car behind. Bye Bye, Blabber Car! This idea just keeps getting better.

I am going to post this idea to the MTA's Suggestion Box. I'm looking forward to their response. I'll share it with you in 2074 when they get back to me.

Happy and safe commuting, and may you encounter uncommon sense.

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