Short Stories @shortshortstori · Oct
31, 2014… Late autumn fields and cloud-strewn skies are crowded with flocks of
storks finding their way to Northern Africa. Wanderlust. Magical.
I am on my way from Lübeck to Paris and have the joy of travelling in a DB 1st class department. It's my first time in 1st class. I have always been a staunch BahnCard50 2nd class traveller. My impressions so far (two hours into the journey): It is very quiet so far. Can it be that 1st class travellers take the quiet zone literally? Surprisingly, quite a few passengers have brought along their picnic packages . I guess childhood train travel traditions are slow to die out. The department smells pleasantly of coffee since there is a steward constantly serving new passengers coffee every time we leave the station. (30.05.2014)
So, I was riding on one of the new local trains this afternoon. I noticed two unique aspects of these new trains. First, the funny and often confusing announcements from the train personnel over the intercom system are gone. Now there is a calm slow-speaking male voice that sounds somewhat like a smart robot announcing all the information. (Or, maybe it is just someone who no longer speaks like a normal human being.) Secondly, if you try to open the bathroom door when someone else is in the bathroom, there is a loud voice coming over the intercom for all to hear (!), stating the toilet is occupied and please come back when it is free. You have never seen someone disappear so quickly. It was hilarious to see how people raised their faces from their cell phones to see who dared touch the bathroom door. This might be a good way of scaring off passengers considering using their toilet facilities.
Two porters meet for a coffee break standing outdoors beside the train. They have a chat during a longer stopover. We on the train wait patiently for a connecting train to arrive. The porters look so relaxed... spending the time getting caught up on their news. (10.08.2015)
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