A decade on from the fabled year 1999, and the public transport in my town has yet to achieve anything close to this kind of splendour. Here in Melbourne the ‘El’ would be shorthand for “extremely late”.
Connex shortlisted for new Melbourne train tender. Which is like drafting an epileptic marmoset as a contestant in an egg and spoon race.
The Little Book of Miserable Happiness
On the train the other night I noticed a lady reading a little Readers Digest–style self-help book. The jacket was printed in a reassuring, creamy white colour, offset with bold, empowering red type. And printed in this bold, empowering red type, set against the reasurring creamy white of the cover, was the title Joy in Suffering.
I’ll admit, there is something quite satisfying, when you’re suffering a bout of melancholy, to wrap yourself up in your misery and hurl yourself into the emotional gale, collar up, eyes downcast, teeth grit. And maybe there’s a place for a book that helps you do it. But I don’t think Joy in Suffering is it.
It certainly didn’t seem to do the trick for the women I saw; she eventually put the book back in her purse and started flicking through the MX, which is surely the ultimate in joy in suffering, minus the joy.
Public transport, Culture jamming on (or, Metlink announcement from an alternate universe)
Spotted this on the 5.14pm Epping train.
ATTENTION PASSENGERS
if you don’t arrive at your destination on time please inform our friendly station staff and we promise to refund you the cost of your journey if we dont (sic) deliver the service we promise why should you pay full fare? Thats (sic) why we’re introducing “FARE FAIR” a new system to help diminish our terrible double standards.