Human Folly

I am always astounded that when something goes wrong, there is a large amount of people who automatically assess how it effects them and what they can gain from it as a result. Recently on a trip back from Sydney to see a concert, there was a fatality on the line, which meant that the train was held up for quite sometime. It was an interesting situation to be caught in, as all of a sudden people’s priorities became vocalised and really quite clear. The three sixteen-year-old girls with over manicured hair, falling down pants and lack of an ability to manoeuvre words into any coherent sentence all started to draw attention themselves. “Oh my god, I can’t even believe how late we’re going to be! I don’t wanna see any like dead shit” which was then followed by numerous phone calls to parents and friends to say “Yeah we’s been held up cos like there was some dude and he jumped in front of the train and now we’re like stopped” This was of course I imagine followed by the parental party asking why they were on said train and the fantastic answer of “we’s got bored so we wents to Hornsby shopping centre and was headin’ back and now it’s stopped” The accident becoming a comfortable cover up for their obvious  misdemanours.

Then there was the couple who were also incredulous to this ever happening “This has never happened to me before! It’ just doesn’t seem right. I mean how are we gonna get home in time. This is so fricken stupid.” Wow, what a lot of insight that young lady possessed. Her conversation later turned into a very detailed description of “the train driver comes round and says to us that this guy has jumped right in front of the train and hes dead and now were stopped for questioning” which I was fascinated with because I had missed this conversation with the driver somewhere between her seat behind me and my own and had only heard “please remain patient, there has been a fatality and this train will be evacuated in due course once the authorities arrive.”

Then there was the brilliant man who called his work and explained that he had witnessed a crime scene and couldn’t  possibly come into work tomorrow. Now this was pure genius as there was an accident and then there technically he had witnessed the track that had been the scene of the crime . Only a man of particular skill could have worked that story out so quickly and I have to admit to being generally quite impressed!

The amazing way that everyone’s thoughts went to being stuck, being late, having to wait and being hungry FASCINATED me! Someone had just chosen to end their life, you would think they could be a bit more considerate, I mean really peek time on a Sunday, tsk, tsk, tsk.  Next time, he should plan it for maybe 1.30 am on a Monday morning, because then no one would b inconvenienced, so mr Jumpee, next time…oh hold on…..There is no next time because you only have one life and yours has so sadly JUST ENDED!  I wanted to scream you miserable people, what the hell is your problem?! Have some bloody respect! Someone has just died and the poor dude driving the train has had to watch it happen! But instead I sat there and tried to concentrate on my breathing. Why couldn’t I just say what I had going through my head? At what point did we stop pulling each other up on being basically ridiculous human beings and just let it become a culture? This attitude was worn loud and proud for 3 hours whilst the situation was sorted at which point I found a friend of mine to discuss the amazement that is human society. And two days on I'm still amazed that not one person, including me, had the guts to standup and say something.... really makes you wonder doesn't it...or does it?