Transportation Entertainment

So when you're riding the subway/metro/T to work, what do you do to occupy your time? Whether it's a 15-minute or 1-hour commute, time passes slowly if you're just staring into space (which I've seen people do, regardless). Today I'm giving you a breakdown of what I think you're like, based on your transportation entertainment (please note, my first impression readings of people are usually totally off, and these "judgments" shouldn't be taken too seriously). After this breakdown, I'll reveal which one of these types I am.

iPod: You're probably not a morning person. You rolled out of bed, threw on the cleanest work clothes you could find on your floor, and ran out the door carrying your heels. You probably stopped for a breakfast sandwich at Dunkin, if the line wasn't too long, and now on the subway you're listening to U2 to wake up while you take gulps of your large coffee.

Free newspaper: You like to keep up with the news, but more from a pop culture standpoint. You know a lot about abandoned puppies and the new Death Cab album, but all you know about Ted Kennedy is that his surgery went well. You're a fun, social person who takes your job for what it is: a job, neither good or bad. I wouldn't be surpised to see you updating Facebook from your cell phone.

National newspaper: Your job is your life. Politics, world events, and having opinions help you gain respect with your coworkers, because you can rattle off Obama's speech last night verbatim today. You're probably wearing a suit, and I like to guess you'll get off at the Financial District for your lucrative job.

Book: You're trying to postpone the "work mindset" for as long as possible by reading some exciting new fiction. Either that or you're trying to be more intellectual by tackling those "important" books you somehow missed: Siddhartha, Paradise Lost, Madame Bovary, etc. You probably listen to indie music and periodically drag your friends to see low-budget documentaries.

Work briefs: either you're a very normal person who just has a big PowerPoint presentation to give today, or you're the resident office overachiever. You know everything about the company, including the mission statement, by heart, and you'll rave about your job in-depth to anyone who will listen, even fellow subway riders.

iPod AND literary item: One word (though hyphenated): multi-tasker. Somehow you manage to sift through much visual and audio stimuli simultaneously to max yourself out on information in your daily life. You're always busy, with little free time, and you have a lot of ambition, aspiring to be a CEO. Or maybe you can't stand the other people crowding around you on the T, so you blast your music to drown out their conversations while trying to immerse yourself in David Sedaris essays.

To be completely honest, I'm a combination of these people. On the days when I grab a free news tabloid, I flip immediately to the entertainment section. I always have a book with me (usually it's someone like Ian McEwan, Michael Cunningham, or Alice Monro: emotional, romantic, beautifully written stuff that takes me away from my boring commute), but I only read it sometimes, depending on if I get a seat or not. When I pop in my headphones, it's usually so I can wake up a little more, or if I need to cheer up. Sometimes I'll try to read while listening to music, but my ears are a little less ADD than my eyes, so the music always wins. I hardly ever look over work stuff, but only because all of my work stuff is at work.

So I guess these impressions are misleading, because I come across differently to people, depending on the day. What do YOU do, and how do you perceive others? Let us know at interns@experience.com!