The train ground to a halt. Nowadays, that’s a bad omen with the SBB, the Swiss Railway Company. They have been blighted by delays despite their claims to the contrary. The conductor was soon on the crackling PA system, and with a metallic-sounding voice, courtesy of the ageing system, he announced a few minutes delay in getting past Dietikon, half way between Zürich and home. He was back some five minutes later, explaining that the reason why we were waiting was that train traffic through Dietikon was being staggered because of a “Personenunfall†– there had been an accident and somebody was hurt. Now, if there is a collision between a train and a person, generally the chances for the person aren’t good. Nonetheless, a woman sitting beside me huffed and puffed and looked at her watch impatiently. I don’t know what incredibly important business she had to attend to, but the insensitivity was amazing. Is the life of a person not worth a mere 15-minute wait (because that was the extent of the delay)?
 When we eventually passed through Dietikon, the ominous white police tent was enough evidence of who had lost the battle between man and train. The woman next to me didn’t seem to care. She looked out of the window with a smug face, as if mocking the dead body secluded under the tent. And that was that. A life lost was just an inconvenience. What a messed up society! Or hopoefully, just a messed up woman. I never found out if it was a man, woman, his or her age, if he or she had family. What I know is that the person under the tent now has a small place in my thoughts, for whatever that’s worth.
This attitude is indicative of our society today. I myself was on my way back from work a few years ago. There I sat on a train heading out of Essex into the East end of London and just a stop away from Stratford the train halted. People shifted in their seats, huffed in annoyance, the beeps from a hundred phones echoed thourghout the train as many sent texts to their loved ones to stick their dinner in the oven. I remember feeling tired,hungry and fedup as we sat their helplesss , unable to leave the train, for 40 mins. As time went on I began to feel angry and annoyed. Finally there was a little jolt and the train was away. Minutes later I was walking home. It turned out the delay was due to a desperate person throwing themselves in front of the train. Although a sad story I often wondered whether that person thought about the people in my train. There were kids on that train – did they need to hear about something like that ? Whilst I think it is a shame for anyone to feel that way – I also feel that it is selfish of someone to commit such an act without thinking how it would affect others.
The situation you describe seems to be a tragic accident though and in that case I believe that person deserves the sympathy and thoughts of the people on your train.
However, to end on a happy note. On a train to Cornwall once we stopped. Fields to the left and fields to the right. 5 mins, 10 mins, 15 mins. The lady sitting opposite me smiled and said, “They could tell us why we’ve stopped.” “Probably a cow,” I mused. Right on cue the driver’s cheery voice came over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen I do apologise for the delay. We are unable to go on due to..” Cows, I thought, go on say it, or randy farmers gone mad or drunk badgers, maybe even a psychotic duck. “….leaves on the track.”
LEAVES!!!
Degradation of Mankind ….
We actually get loads of people who use trains as their means of suicide – not nice at all. Living here can get very lobnley and desperate as people tend to stick to a closed group of friends. So it’s understandable, but I agree that their last act on earth should also be considerate – even though their world was not considerate to them.
But stopping a train for leaves is beyond ridiculous… It’s soon your birthday, isn’t it?
It’s interesting that you say ” living here can get lonely…” I think that’s because coming from a small place like Malta we’re so used to walking down the road and bumping into someone we know, chatting, having coffee, whatever. If you hang out in a specific pub or club you get to know practically everyone who hangs there too regardless of whether they are in your ‘klikka’. Maltese people are so much more relaxed when it comes to socialising and friendly and inclusive. In bigger countries as you say it’s small groups of friends. But then nowhere is perfect I suppose.
Yes it’s me b’day soon, but don’t worry – I won’t be throwing myself onto train tracks…