Silence of the commuter lambs
It was Aristotle who said man is a social animal by nature and, if he isn’t, he’s either a beast or a god.
The great philosopher clearly never took a bus or train on any given morning in Wellington.
If he had, he’d have seen his fellow passengers with their headphones in, gaze fixed firmly on a screen or out the window, and levels of consciousness dialled up just enough to make sure their elbow aren’t grazing those of a stranger.
So why, if we’re hard-wired for social interaction, are we so allergic to speaking to others on public transport?
The phenomena was raised in a recent Reddit Wellington thread, in which many of the social media website’s users bluntly said they valued their commutes as time for themselves, often accompanied by a podcast or music.
‘‘I don’t know who you are and I don’t want to find out. I just want to get from A to B,’’ one commenter said.
Another wrote: ‘‘Every true Wellingtonian knows that the only acceptable way to communicate your need to get off at the next stop is to pick up your bag from the floor, grab your wallet, and look out the window expectantly.’’
Opus behavioural sciences research manager Jared Thomas has done a whole thesis on the issue.
Published in 2009, it was the culmination of three years spent studying ‘‘the delicate balance between the need for privacy and the need for social interaction’’ as he watched the behaviour of 1703 passengers.
He found that kindness from other commuters played a significant role in how pleasant a person’s journey was.
Back then, a quarter of passengers would communicate, though he expected this number would have dropped over time.
Victoria University psychology Professor Marc Wilson said not everyone wanted peace. ‘‘Extroverts are typically more comfortable initiating and responding to conversation on public transport but introverts may avoid it.’’
Then there are the loud-talkers on their phones, which Wilson said came down to grey areas of social etiquette. We all know not to talk loudly in libraries but on buses or trains, it’s ambiguous.
Or as a Reddit user put it: ‘‘I don’t want to listen to your idiotic life.’’
Passengers interviewed on an off-peak train from Wellington to Pukerua Bay said they often used their journey to relax or mentally plan their days.
‘‘My train time is for me, myself and outside,’’ said Mark Bridger, of Porirua.
Elizabeth Scott, of Plimmerton, explained that people were wary of saying the wrong thing to strangers, so it could be easier not to say anything.
Mary Snowden said: ‘‘You can’t get off, and if you are making a contact with a person and they don’t want you to do that, you’re stuck.’’
Cantabrian Alan Cooper said he thought the social awkwardness pointed to much wider issues and rattled off two examples of recent events – a wedding and a teen dance – where smartphones replaced real conversation.
When there’s a degree of commonality – say everyone is dressed in black and gold to watch the Hurricanes – the mood is generally more social.
But usually, Thomas said: ‘‘Where social environments are crowded, people tend to minimise their social interactions to avoid mental overload.’’
‘‘My train time is for me, myself and outside.’’ Mark Bridger Porirua commuter
In less-friendly cities, a breakdown in social niceties could spiral into all manner of horrors such as queue-jumping and pushiness, which could clog the doorways of public transport or cause delays.
‘‘We still come from a culture of thanking the driver. What would be great is to reinforce the positive social rules we already have and reinforce what good behaviour looks like.’’
The night of October 19, when kingmaker Winston Peters announced which party he had chosen to lead the country for the next three years, Helen Gray was on the train to Pukerua Bay.
The train manager asked passengers if they wanted to hear the live broadcast. They did.
Everyone reacted together, she said. ‘‘Some whooped, some might have whooped more loudly but realised their neighbour might not be whooping. It was one of those real shared community moments that was precious.’’
Greater Wellington Regional Council rail operation manager Angus Gabara said there has been more of an effort to get train managers communicating with passengers.
‘‘It’s part of the human touch. Some trains around the world don’t have people on board and all you will get is robotic announcements.’’
Thomas said human interaction could be influenced by the designs of trains and buses.
L-shaped seat designs were considered the best, as they allowed for easy eye contact without people having to stare at each other directly – which could be intimidating.
Gabara said, in reality, social needs were not a priority.
Trains were ‘‘quite bespoke’’ and the focus was on designs that met capacity and access requirements – particularly with designs that worked for people with disabilities.