Commuter Illiterate: The leaning pole.

These posts are not actually about travelers who can't read.  They are devoted to those whom we have to put up with on the buses, trains and sidewalks because they don't realize there are other people who are commuting with them.  I have nothing against illiterate people, but I just couldn't think of anything else more cleverer.  These are the oblivious, the inconsiderate, the insane.

So let's start.  The PATH trains have these poles in middle of the car.  Those are for the use of everyone.  They are to hold on to as the train moves so the passengers are not hurled about from one side to another.

They are not, however, intended for the express purpose of leaning onto.  If the train was empty like the picture below, this may be perfectly acceptable.  But not at rush hour.  Absolutely not.  They were not placed there for the use of one person alone, but for a group of people.

So if you are one of these people who may have assumed that this is a "leaning pole", you are wrong.  And now you know.  And so you must realize that those people grabbing around you to stabilize themselves are not crazy for invading your space.  So don't roll your eyes or look annoyed, as the crowd struggles to reach home safely.  Take a step back and hold onto the pole with one hand like the rest of civilization.

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