Technological Paranoia

by Samuel J. Techner

I am a commuter. I ride the train. In fact, I’m on one this morning--comfortably rapping away at my keyboard. I wonder sometimes if the sound (and behaviour) of those of us labouring on our notebooks, is perhaps the cause of considerable annoyance to fellow passengers. After all, a commuter train is invariably filled with a diverse range of folks. Many may be less than delighted having to watch (at very close proximity) someone “seizing the moment” by indulging in some self-important creative urge.

It probably appears pretentious to whip-out a $2,000 piece of hardware, and it is definitely rude to entirely ignore one’s surroundings. Add to these the grating tap...tap...tap of the keyboard, and its a wonder there’s not a rash of commuter violence. Specifically, broken fingers.

“Rail Rage” on the rise. Society’s next techno-phenomenon.

I suspect that if I didn’t have such a long and somewhat bumpy relationship with technology, such flaunting of it would be just the thing to pissmeofftonoend.

It’s easy to see how such actions could appear arrogant. And, it’s not hard to imagine that the incessant clicking of keys (to an audience unaware of the resulting prose) could actually cause one to consider using their sidearm. Or, for those un-armed passengers, simply to leap obliviously into the belly of the cuckoo’s nest.

The fact is, its not particularly attractive conduct. It even begs contradiction. Instead of dismissing it, writers should be acutely aware of their environment. The vibrant smells and sounds. The interesting people we chat with. The beauty of the lake as it draws by the train’s windows. These are the fuel of the trade. But, Instead of embracing such potential, we ignore it. Choosing to block out this rich ambiance, and instead toil away at an unrelated effort. It seems like such wasted opportunity. So many new faces. So many missed conversations. Sometimes technology makes things too convenient. So much so, that our social skills can grow rusty from infrequent use.

As I continue (from my office) I can’t shake the feeling that, given the choice, my fellow commuters would have sat as far away from me (or any other keyboard-clicking geek) as possible.

Perhaps, in the not-to-distant future, cranking up the old notebook in public will be frowned upon like a bad habit. Studies will show that second-hand keyboard clicking causes severe mental dysfunction. There will be sections set aside, on trains and other public places, exclusively for those of us still reckless enough to indulge in such an irritating and unhealthy habit. The day may come when those of us with notebook computers will have to pay more for our commuter passes in a blatant attempt at discouraging us from riding! Or, maybe they’ll confiscate our computers...or even ban us from riding altogether!

I may be getting a little imaginative here. Nevertheless, on the way home tonight, I think I’ll leave my laptop safely under the seat.

I wrote this nearly six years ago. It seems to have somehow held its relevance. What I found particularly interesting are the parallels with current cellphone behaviour. You can replace the notebook references with “cellphone” and not miss a beat.