Everyone's saying the same thing about this subway manners poster - it's not the kids who cut in line, it's the old ladies. It's true, if anyone will elbow past you to get on a bus or train, it will be someone who looks like she might blow away in the gust of wind from the oncoming subway, but turns out tone anchored to the platform and to have elbows made of steel. And she's not afraid to use them.
When this happens, I always think, reflexively, "Ah well, go ahead, you'll be dead a long time before me. You've probably been through a lot. Grab a seat." Is that horrible? I get pretty weird looks when I admit this. I don't mean it to be. It's a sympathetic thought.
That said, getting elbowed is still annoying.
5 comments:
Do people in Japan really line up in an orderly queue to get on the subway? To me, an orderly queue is one of the greatest advancements of civilized society. Of course, there will always be queue jumpers. Here, I've noticed old ladies doing it, but also young ladies. Why's it always gotta be the ladies?
Last time I lived in Tokyo, I went to Seoul for the weekend, and was gob-smacked by all the old Korean ladies cutting in line for the airport bus. Much worse than the Japanese obatarian!
I, quite literally, have elbows made of steel (a couple of 3 inch screws to repair a broken arm, the result of a freak freestyle walking accident) but I politely keep them at my side and just watch as those little biddies barge their way past me. I'm glad to hear that, when this happens, I'm not the only one out there thinking about their impending death. Now, if only my local grocery store would hang a similar poster in the produce aisle, I'll be set.
I don't think you should feel bad, because little old ladies are almost always thinking horrible things about you too. They just have lots of practice covering for it.
I like the new look around here, SJB!
Trixie! That is such a good reminder. Those elbows don't lie.
Thanks for coming by! I'd actually like it to look a lot nicer. If you knew any designers or anything...
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