PUBLIC TRANSPORT DIARY (Could someone open the window, please) Oh no, I was just starting to get into the swing of riding the rails until it got to autumn and someone turned on the heaters. It was a nice brisk morning last week. I was running a tick late. It takes me 6 minutes to walk to the station, touch on and take up my position ready for the first door of the 3rd carriage. On this particular morning, I only left myself 5 1/2 minutes, so I really had to put a skip into my step to make up the lost half minute. I made the train on time and without being out of breath, but I suppose you could say I was flushed; Id got a glow up. So when I broke out into a profuse sweat on the train, I wasnt surprised. I was surprised that I didnt have a seat. I was in carriage 4, which obviously fills up faster than carriage 3. However, on this particular morning, I didnt mind standing, because you dont really want to sit down next to another warm body when youre perspiring heavily. But once you cool down, you expect to stop sweating. I was still sweating at Caulfield. My pulse was normal, but the perspiration kept pouring off me. I took off my flanny and used it to wipe under my chin and the top of my head. They had the bloody heaters on, but you cant open a window. Where is the sense in that? I sweated all the way to Flinders Street, which is where I got off and caught a No1 tram from there to Albert Park. The Number 1 tram is the older style tram with windows that can be opened, so, if like me, you cant stand artificial heating, you can at least get some relief. I can understand that lazy sedentary people who sit on their fat arses all day long do need to have artificial heating, but why should they oppress the rest of us? Why cant they have one unheated carriage, say number three of each train? The train home was even worse, because, Id been sitting waiting for it at Southern Cross for 10 minutes before I got on and I still broke into a sweat. I asked another passenger what the deal was with the heating and he said he thinks it only has one setting - on. And it seems, they must turn it on the first week of Autumn and thats it. I cant go through a whole autumn and winter of going to work in a lather, so Ill be shutting down this public transport diary until the days start getting longer and the central heating is switched off again. Just when I got my seniors card, too.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 03:49:54 +0000