Boredom in transit
I like being bored in transit. Some might not like the fact of being left to their own thoughts while sitting on a bus, but I do. You could feel the same way in car perhaps if that's how you commute daily, but it'll be quite difficult. It must be mind numbing to be in constant attention, constant alertness behind the wheel, with no chance of rest especially during stand still traffic. Only the allure of getting home ahead of everyone else. Unless of course, everyone else who can drive are all driving at the same time, causing the very congestion they're stuck in.
To me, commuters should have the option to be bored, and good public transit helps with that.
The boring commute
Transit should be boring. Boring in a sense that it works reliably and frequently that you don't have to look at a schedule. You just get to the station, ride what comes, and you're on your way to sentimental window viewing.
Some passengers might make various kinds of noises, but nothing a pair of wired headphones can't muffle out.
Another challenge is the metal brick we call smartphones, the online connected kind. I admit it does take me a lot of effort to stay away and not doom scroll myself throughout the ride home. What does work is for me to intentionally turn of my data and inform my loved ones where I'm at before I do so.
One of the bigger challenge is that in most cases, public transit is unpredictable and stuck in traffic. It promotes a bad kind of boredom with a dash of weary, unease, and exhaustion as you spend minutes to upwards of an hour waiting in line. That much of it I do not like. But once you're on the bus, your time is yours whether there's traffic jams or not. Despite the cons, I treasure those moments when I can stare outside the window and contemplate.
Window livestreaming
Buses and trains have huge windows. They serve as a kind of 'screen' for the world outside, with unlimited streaming time. Nice. No data. No subscription needed (except the bus fare).
You can switch subscription, if the seating permits, from left window to right window streaming. It can be a kind of cheat because it's technically doom scrolling by transit propulsion, but I digress. You have no control of what's coming into view. Unlike attention seeking content, it does not pull you in. Well, it pulls you in... in a good kind.
To me, viewing outside window lets me pull from the contents of my mind and reflect on them. Even better are the times when you see things outside that suddenly spark a memory: an elderly man biking with a child riding behind him while standing on make shift post at the hub of the bike, students waiting for their inihaw at a karinderya at the side of the road, the break of dawn as the warmth of the Sun breaks through the tree line of the highway as it kisses your freezing skin because of the bus' cold aircon.
Sometimes it would stop raining long enough for the stars to come out. And then it was nice. It was like just before the sun goes to bed down on the bayou... There was over a million sparkles on the water. Like that mountain lake. [...] It looks like there were two skies, one on top of the other. And then in the desert, when the sun comes up... I couldn't tell where heavens stopped and the earth began. It was so beautiful. — Forrest Gump
Those kinds of moments felt stolen if you're not allowed to be bored once in a while. It's harder to have behind a wheel in my opinion.
Metal bricks
I had my fare share of driving to work. Didn't do it much because it's expensive. But more than that, it just felt imprisoning driving that way. It's a monumental feat (despite what others say), let alone owning and maintaining the car itself. It's like a phone, a metal brick that demands your attention. You can't look away from the screen of the windshield lest you want to hit something or someone.
To an extent you could be left to your thoughts, be bored while driving, but then the gridlock starts to creep, your concern increases behind the wheel. Your attention is more demanded of you whether you like to or not, whether you're full attention or beat, exhausted, sleepy from a day of work.
There are many factors why people choose to drive. But I believe if given the choice, most of them would opt out of it if public transit was up to par to their expectations. These people doesn't need to miss out on experiencing boredom in transit, nor should their unnecessary driving cause burden to everyone else commuting in this finite resource of a road.
Personally, I think these people are missing out a lot while spending even a lot on car dependence, for a convenience that's artificially perpetuated.
Settling in for the ride ahead
I like being bored in transit, but to tell you the truth it hasn't been easy. Life's funny that way: you get settled on relatively difficult times, then life throws another hour at your already time consuming commute.
Nobody likes mandatory boredom. Not that there isn't anything to gain from it, but I'd like to get home and have dinner with my family at a reasonable hour. I'd like to get home without spending another peso on arbitrary conveniences. I'd like to not worry I'd miss another moment with my partner to then reminisce about on the next commute. Is that too much of an ask?
Until that time comes, I'll still ride the bus, and the train, and the jeep, tomorrow, and be bored as I can be.
Reflecting on boredom for the February Bear Blog Carnival