Friday, January 28, 2005

Litter or Literature?

Here's a problem I've always had. When you're finished with a newspaper on public transportation, what do you do with it? Sure you could throw it away, making everything nice and neat and tidy. Or you could gently place it on your seat and leave it there for someone who wants to read something as they travel from A to B.

I usually leave it if I'm seated and throw it out if I'm standing. I think stooping down to place a newspaper on a random bench falls in the "see something, say something" category.

I bring this up now cuz it just took me an hour and forty-five minutes to get back to SI and I had nothing to read.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've given this some serious thought and decided even if I'm standing or walking I try to find a spot where the "news" may be passed on. For instance if I'm on my way up the stairs from the subway I'll tuck it in the handrail for easy delivery to the next semi-literate person who's looking for a cheap read.

I have a question though, what is it about reading that curbs "waiting anxiety". We humans have so many addictions, is reading one of them. Also I wonder, why is "waiting" so bad. Is it a horribly prolonged "no" that we learned to hate so quickly as infants. NO, you can't be where you want to be right now you've got to wait. "Now mommy?" No, you have to wait.