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March 22, 2009

The Dreaded Cell Phone

The cell phone is really the one device in the modern world that everyone loves, and loves to hate. Most people never leave home without their phone, and when it is forgotten, that is grounds to turn around and get it. This device, that almost all people have, is something we just can’t imagine living without. It is a convenient porthole to the rest of the world. So why do we hate the cell phone, just as much as we love it? I think that you can find the answer out in public places. Like, at the checkout when people are chatting one their phone instead of paying the cashier. When you’re in your car and that idiot on the phone just cut you off. Also, on the train or the city bus. When someone’s phone rings on the train, they pull it out of their pocket and stare reading and re-reading the caller id screen while the terrible quality ringtone of a hip-hop song blares. Almost as if to say, “HEY EVERONE! LOOK AT ME! I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE!” Another reason we hate the cell phone on public transportation is because when someone answers their phone, everyone in the entire train / bus can hear their entire conversation. It is as if everyone else is in on the conversation too. It has gotten to the point of annoyance where there are little signs by the ceiling that say something along the lines of, “put your phone on silent and wait till you’re out to answer your phone.” I think this is a very good idea and it is much appreciated by me, because I really don’t care that your child got in trouble at school, again.

March 1, 2009

The Commuter

Because of an eight AM class this semester, I have gotten the privilege of being a commuter on the light rail.

Here are some things I have noticed:

1) Men, almost exclusively, read the newspaper. The majority read the Star Tribune, but the Pioneer Press is also represented. No matter which one it is, reading the paper is typically reserved for men on the train.

2) So if the men read the paper, what do the women do? After all they are the majority of light rail commuters. From my observations, women like novels and celebrity tabloids to pass their time on the train. From what I can see, the novels tend to be of the trashy romance variety. The most reoccurring titles are any from the Twilight series and anything by Danielle Steel.

3) Most commuter men are also more conscious than women of the personal space bubble. Not to say that the women don’t acknowledge it, but they tend to creep over it and accidently elbow you more often than men do. Although, at this point I’m unsure if the men are more conscious of my space because of the opposite sex thing, or if men actually pay more attention to it in any situation.