what is this, the public transit book club?

[rivendellrose]

I've had a slightly weird 24 hours in terms of conversations on buses... all to do in one way or another with looking at what someone else is reading.

Item 1: Last night, in the bus tunnel, I saw a familiar-ish looking girl wearing a University of Washington sweatshirt, and reading Good Omens. While I was trying to eyeball her and figure out if I actually knew her or just ought to know her (because, honestly - anybody who likes Good Omens and went to my school can't be all bad!), she looked up and said "Oh, hey! How've you been?" Turns out she was a friend of nekokoban and miss_arel's who I met several weeks ago. Much fun was had chatting for the rest of the rest of the commute.

Item 2: This morning on my bus into downtown, I was reading Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. As I got up to get off the bus, the guy next to me said "I love that book." We talked for a little bit, and then parted ways. This wouldn't have been at all strange except for what happened next...

Item 3: Only 15 minutes later (the bus was late), as I was getting off my transfer, a nice elderly gentleman stepped up beside me at the light and asked "How did you like the Dawkins book?" For the last week I've been reading The Selfish Gene on the bus. So we talked about Dawkins, Gould, and Hawking while we walked.

The really sad thing is, all these people who are getting used to me enough that we have these little half-conversations? Are the exact people I'm not going to see again once I've been moved up to the Lynnwood office. And forgive me my snobbery, but I doubt too many folks up in the suburbs are likely to have anything interesting to say about the comparative writings styles of Stephen J. Gould and Richard Dawkins. :P

(I liked The Selfish Gene, by the way. But I am strange, and like pretty much everything by Dawkins. Even when I disagree with a few of his points, I always enjoy his style, intelligence, and perspective.)

Comments

[lacrimaeveneris.livejournal.com]

That's too bad... they'll probably wonder where you went!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Maybe so! It's funny, you really do get used to people, even though most of the time you never talk to them.

[irishninja.livejournal.com]

But you'll be able to talk all about the local sports teams and reality TV!

...

:\

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

True enough. :/ Ah well. I'll have more time to get reading done, too, probably, with the commute...

[caeline.livejournal.com]

I live in Lynnwood! But I'm afraid I haven't read anything noteworthy, but The God Delusion is on my list once I get a job. :)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Aww, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to malign the place, it's just... not like downtown for working in. I'm a bit teed off at my company for moving us from fun up-and-coming SoDo to the land of the strip-mall. :P

On the other hand, that might make our continued efforts to meet up easier!

(As for God Delusion, if you want to borrow it I can lend you a copy. Dawkins definitely isn't everybody's cup of tea, though... I love him, but even I'll admit he takes some arguments too far.)

[caeline.livejournal.com]

Haha, no worries! I'm not too keen on Lynnwood anyway; I preferred living in Redmond, actually. And downtown is like a breath of fresh air for me. But I was just saying I could offer some semblance of conversation. :)

And if you can lend me a copy, great! I'm really great at returning books, if that instils any confidence!

[velvet-midnight.livejournal.com]

Woah. I'm in the middle of Good Omens. Rock on.

Also; that's wicked awesome. =D

[dragonmusic.livejournal.com]

I live in Lynn-hood myself, and I must say that I find it way convenient to have the new building down the street from my place, and the parking (for those of us who drive) is WAY better.

I hear you about the strip mall thing though. I live here because its what we can afford with the munchkin and everything. I grew up in North Seattle and I really miss having things like Greenlake and the U Dist within walking distance of home, or at least a short busride away. I would so hate it even more if I didn't drive.

Ironically I made fun of people who lived in Lynn-hood when I was growing up. I console myself with the though that I am not from there, I just happen to reside there for now. I'd live to be able to move back to my old neighborhood.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Thing is, yeah, it's great for the folks who live up there and/or drive. I get that. But for me, the whole point of getting hired by a company downtown was so that I could work downtown. Where the buses are. Where, after work, I can get to anywhere I need to go. Maybe even have a social life.

I am now 'looking forward' to having to bus-hop at least three times to get there and home (that's three opportunities for missing a particular bus and ending up late, whereas going downtown I have all sorts of options - if I miss one bus, there are three or four other options coming right up), and will probably have to come all the way home before going anywhere.

Essentially, I'm just cranky about the whole thing.

[dragonmusic.livejournal.com]

I hear ya. *hugs*

[empresspatti.livejournal.com]

People in the suburbs read too. Just sayin....

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Oh, totally. I'm originally from one of the smaller suburbs in my area. Mostly I guess I'm just... pre-emptively missing the whole mix of people on the city buses. You just never know where a conversation is going to go.

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

"Don't think I didn't see you going through my parents underwear drawer" Remember when the gal on the bus told me that?
And that was not even in the city. Talk about a "mix" of people.
I loved the guy in the back who yelled "take your medicine"
To her. I actually hate that it's going to mean more buses for you though, such a horrible potential for a VERY long commute each day and night.