Thoughtful Preparations: Media Spin Blog

If you are a commuter by car, rail or any other means, there are many chance moments after leaving your home and entering the myriad world of random people. You enter a mixture of their goals, concerns and pressures, and you hope their problems will not spill over onto yours. Such as when driving to the train station this morning and a lady passed me in a sleek black car steering while balancing a bowl of cereal in her free hand. Here’s an answer for a question I frequently ask myself, “Why do so many drivers not make turn signals?”

Riding the BART, when I hear a cell phoner bitching loudly about her problems, as if the entire car needs to know, I move to another seat out of ear shot. Ear plugs or iPods just don’t solve the problem entirely. Attempts to remain aloof and nonjudgemental are a great mental exercise, but ultimately you’re enduring a funky cell mate for the ride.

So, it is no shock that a video on YouTube.com “Bus Uncle” has grown very popular, since it captures this kind of commuter interaction and confrontation Hong Kong style. The angry uncle yells, “I face pressure! You face pressure!” and rap versions have sprouted forth. And for an encore here’s Billy Joel’s music video, “Pressure.” Happy travels and get home safely.