Laughter and commuting are words that rarely co-habitate in the same sentence. Words like mundane, repetitive and annoying are more likely verbal bedfellows when recalling your morning journey. The rare exception to this rule occurs on those the days when you happen to get on the Chiltern Line train that happens to be operated by that driver who happens to have a lunch-box full of one-liners beside him in the wheelhouse.
If you haven't heard this guy's morning soliloquies I won’t hold your skepticism against you. I majored in Skepticism, with a double-minor in Cynicism. The truth is, this type of unsolicited banter and observational commentary is the sort of self-indulgent intrusion I normally detest. Even now each time he starts with the jokes I find myself thinking 'Oh, leave it out…'. But half way through his act I start smiling a little bit. Even stranger, I find myself actually looking at other commuters and sharing a smile with them, too! Wow. On the commuter circuit that’s about as common a sight as seeing someone flossing their teeth. It just doesn’t happen.
The truth is, this guy isn't that funny. It's all really a rather pedestrian attempt at comedy. But that's just it…at least he's attempting it. It's more than most people do. And let's be honest...this is a tough crowd. You’ve never seen longer, greyer, less-ready-to-laugh faces than on a rainy Tuesday morning commuting in to Marylebone.
So, put your skepticism away, turn your Blackberry off and enjoy this guy while you can before someone reports him. Reports him for what, you might ask? Heaven knows? But he surely must be breaking some kind of rule! Using Official Property To Electronically Distribute Personal Opinions That Do Not Necessarily Reflect The Policies And Opinions Of Deustche Bahn, maybe?
You know what…I’m only half joking.
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