I don't do public transport...

Public Transport experience 12 January 2011
0430hrs...

I am sitting on the platform of my local train station, which by the way is a good 15 minute drive from my home.  I am heading into the city for a 12 hour shift with another Department due to the Queensland/Northern NSW flooding.

So far, a scruffy Aussie has confused me with rail staff and has asked me when the next train to The Riff is until he looked at my name badge and realised that I was wearing the wrong uniform.  Sincerely apologised and scurried off to the next unsuspecting fool. I am going to assume he could not read cause we were right in front of the train schedule board.

An asian couple get on.. He is elderly, hard to tell exactly how old he or she is.  They are carrying an esky between them. I wonder what is in that esky.. Wontons? Dumplings (hmmm, dumplings! *drool*). Their dead cat that they are taking to be cremated?.  She is carrying a brolly because it's raining.  They sit opposite each other - he pushes the esky in front of her. I wonder why, because it's probably all her hard work making those wontons and she is going to bash anyone who knicks them with the umbrella?  She hands him his newspaper, up until this point there has been no words exchanged between the couple.. Still no words.. They have probably been doing this every single morning for god knows how many years (except if it really is a deceased pet in the esky then it would be a one off). She takes out a newspaper..  They sit silently side by side reading their newspapers protecting their wonton cargo.

There is a woman behind me coughing.. Continuously... If I get a bug I will hunt her down and lick her so she gets it back.

0437hrs
I have officially lost my sense of humor. Seriously, what kind of life is this?

Who (apart from the wonton couple) gets up with the sparrows to catch a train to get into the city to start work before 0600hrs?

No wonder I want to try and move out of this city!  I am not even sure which wasy to go when I get to Central Station!  Fortunately, I have about 30 minutes to work it out. 

I can smell chinese food..  It HAS to be the esky...

0439hrs
Half way mark..

Maybe that why I can smell chinese food.. We are going through a large Western City.. Lots of asian restaurants around here.. Delicious...

0455hrs
The wonton couple leave the train, with their precious cargo.. Damn..

Last time I was on a train, the seats were vinyl.. These seats are a material of some description.

0528hrs..
You have reached your destination.