Weirdness while riding the train

[Matthew_S]

I ride the train to and from work.

Three odd computer related things have recently occurred.  I guess I should just never look but somehow I always glance over... it is very hard just not to look at all.

1) Using a laptop to watch movies on the train is now relatively commonplace.  It is rare however to see a black+white movie being watched.  It was a pleasant surprise to see that happen the other day.  Then I noticed some weird shadows near the bottom of the laptop screen and I realized this person was actually watching Mystery Science Theater 3000.

2) Just yesterday I sat down next to another movie watcher.   He was watching an action movie featuring a full-haired Nicholas Cage, perhaps Bangok Dangerous.  This movie ended and what movie was then popped in -- Dane Cook's Good Luck Chuck.

3) I was seated a seat over from this gentleman.  We were positioned where no one could see his screen except me.  I then saw that he had mobile internet access as he loaded up some web-browser.  But then he loaded up AOL and I thought that was peculiar.  (AOL?)
A few minutes later, I glanced again and he seemed to be in some chat-room or messenger program; all I saw/could read was the quote "Yes, I am single too."  I looked away and stared out the window for the rest of the trip.

[Martin]

I get too self-conscious to watch movies on my laptop while taking the train. Only when I'm in first class and I have some personal space and no-one watching over my shoulder I put something on - but then it's almost always on a high-speed train, and watching movies on that makes me dizzy. I also get slightly paranoid if I'm watching something that I've downloaded illegally, even fucking Letterman. I half-expect a cop to turn up and put cuffs on me, or at the very least a bully representative for a major movie studio to chew me up. I usually end up listening to podcasts instead.

(Yes, I've been taking the train a lot lately.)

[break]

One day I sat next to an old man with a laptop watching "All in the Family" episodes on DVD.  I laughed to myself, it just seemed like a perfect thing for an old man to be watching on the train.  

It used to be hard watching funny stuff on the train when my wife and I commuted together.  Holding in the laughs on a quiet train car while watching the UK Office was particularly painful.  

[iAmBaronVonTito]

the worst is sitting next to someone on a plane who pulls out the laptop/mobile theatre.  youre sitting next to them, how can you not watch?  

unfortunately, you cant hear either.  

[Kim Kelly]

I'm too paranoid to pull out anything more expensive than a shitty cell phone T-mobile gives me for free. So I just read a magazine or a book. This goes for both Miami and New York public transportation.

I mean, did you see this story? Fucked up!

[KickTheBobo]

I'm too paranoid to pull out anything more expensive than a shitty cell phone T-mobile gives me for free. So I just read a magazine or a book. This goes for both Miami and New York public transportation.

I mean, did you see this story? Fucked up!

If you are working on a laptop on the subway, and it gets jacked, well I won't say you had it coming but you could probably have avoided that from happening by keeping the fucking thing in your bag for 45 minutes while you ride the train with a certain % of folks that either a) need $ for dope or b) simply don't give a fuck about taking your shit because they can.

Who knew one could be charged for 'menacing', though?

[Denim Gremlin]

not a train story but once i was watching Control the joy division movie on my laptop on a airplane and the guy next to me got all excited and started regaling me with stories of his years working in music videos and working with Anton Corbijn.

actually not really that weird but a cool coincidence.