Lazy? Even a little bit? I guess we all can be, somewhat, but there’s a real distinct logic to the really lazy. What does reasoned thinking have to do with the lazy folk among us? Plenty. And remembering how the lazy operate – and doing the opposite – will nearly always get you a seat on the train.
Subways, Light Rail Transit or interstate commuter railways all use a modular car design – several cars linked up together – to ferry passengers to their destination. When the train arrives at the station, each car and its entrance door will be accessible to those standing along at various points within the station. Pretty basic stuff, yes, but here’s where the logic of the lazy comes into play. Instead of spacing themselves out – by merely walking say another 20 – 30 feet along the station platform – they will congregate exactly where they entered into the station.
I see it time and again – day in and day out – and also the same in the evening. A train full of cars goes mostly empty, while the train car closest to the station entrance becomes overflowing with a certain kind of rider. In truth, they may not be at all lazy, of course, but I’m not quite sure what else would prevent them from walking less than 30 feet to secure a comfortable seat away from the crowded masses.
So what if a few lazy – or quite a few as the case may be – guys and gals don’t want to move from the front of the station to better balance out the density of the rider pool on a train. Who cares? What difference does it make in the long run? Well, it might not make any difference to the one who’s lazy logic isn’t getting them a seat, but what about the others on the train in the car that becomes overcrowded? Public transit, though infinitely better than in days gone by, is still no walk in the park. Stressing over how crowded a train car is on a commuter trip is a needless variable that the lazy logical could easily avoid.
The Logic of The Lazy can be seen in supermarket lines too. The 10 items or less lane where the logical lazy load up 15 or more to the consternation of those obeying the item limit. Lazy or rude? Maybe both. Lazy logic can be seen in those taking an elevator a floor or two – instead of taking a flight or two of stairs. Not truly lazy, just unfit or exercise phobic? Maybe.
The Logic of The Lazy may not doom those who adhere to it to a lifetime of missed opportunity, but it surely helps shut them out of a better chance of sitting down on a train ride. And if it doesn’t always help take away their own seat, it very often minimizes the chance of others to sit down. Don’t be lazy. Be logical.