I caught CalTrain from San Jose to San Francisco today. Two things about the ride stood out.

  1. Someone had brought their child with them to work. I have only a disembodied voice to go on, but I’d guess a 5 year old announced each and every stop between Sunnyvale and Hayward Park. (before presumably getting bored) I had thought we lived in too restricted and controlled a world for such bits of randomness and delight. Maybe only on Sundays?
  2. At several points someone who was not 5 years old got on the intercom and gave news update about the “MacArthur Maze blaze”. I’m trying to think of what other items have ever been newsworthy enough for the conductor to share en route and very very few come to mind. We are a culture that takes freeways very seriously.

MacArthur Max collpase scene
originally uploaded by pixieclipx