I take the train to work every day and it is 55 minutes one way. The home trip I am usually drifting in and out of sleep or trying to read a book (or write one) so I don't notice too much of what is going on around me. The morning trip is different! There is much to see and hear.
There are two sets of groups that travel in the rear carriages. There are the dorky middle aged men, I call them the "Think Tank". Then there are the hip middle aged women, I have named them "The Brass". I have listened to their conversations and I have to say the men are whimsical and jolly, at times factual and very very funny. If they are able to catch out a member of "The Think Tank" misquoting a news story or recount a time when they made a fool of themselves, well that is a good morning. The women have set topics they talk about and they go through these like a drill starting with children, their weekend with involves the children, other women who have wronged them (usually that weekend) and at times members of their own group who in their opinion have been 'acting like a child'. So they make for an interesting comparison.
"The Think Tank" solve all sorts of community dilemmas. For example.... how many cars should a person have? Well of course it depends on how big their garage is or even better- shed? They provide social commentary on all sorts of topics like Melbourne's Public Transport system, Angelina Jolie and if she really is a man eater or just a nutter, and what is the most comfortable men's underwear. They debate with some ferocity all matters related to government both state and federal and have workable solutions to every issue currently on the political landscape. They are their own house of representatives. They often belittle, taunt and talk over one another. And yet they obviously enjoy each others company as the group does not change. Every day of the week the same members sit together and if one is missing someone will know their whereabouts. No one seeks to escape to another carriage.
"The Brass" are markedly different. There seems to be rules which they all must live by. These rules are not discussed, they are assumed. When someone is not playing by these rules the group is mortally offended. 'How could she possibly have thought I would be okay with that?'- a common war cry. There are at last count 11 members of this group but at any one time you may find some members serving a court-marshal in the next carriage. Much of the trip is spent talking about their children and dispensing sisterly advise to one another, and almost always suggesting that they need to take a harder or firmer line. They are quite frankly terrifying! They all look tired and rarely smile. They discuss ailments regularly. Chris takes his bike to work once a week, and on one occasion we happened to sit on their carriage. They had to walk past Chris' bike to get to their reserved seats. They gave Chris a look, they wished to assassinate him. They made mention of how difficult it is for one of "The Brass" to get past the bike with 'that bad knee'. And just to drive home the fact they were displeased they spoke about her impending operation on 'that bad knee' for about 15 minutes. The wrath was palpable! One of the group has broken rank and I have not seen her with them for about 4 months. I always suspected she was different though, she did not wear the same uniform.
I don't always happen to get on the same carriage as either of these groups- to be honest I find them both to be a bit loud for my drowsy 7am brain to cope with. Even above 3RRR on the radio I can still hear laughter in the case of "The Think Tank" and morning drills in the case of "The Brass". I wonder if "The Think Tank" will petition the state government to fix the local train line or if "The Brass" will ever write a letter to the editor of the Herald Sun about some rude young man who has the audacity to take his bike on the train.
I am not making a thinly veiled comparison with any conclusion of women or men in their 40's. I am simply recounting my observations.
But perhaps I have heard too much......
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