As a daily commuter I have to admit I couldn't imagine a
journey without my phone, iPod or laptop but I decided not just to imagine but
try and accomplish it.
I travel roughly an hour a day to University and back, this
consists of a bit of walking, a train ride and a bus if either I'm feeling lazy
or the weather is pants! As it’s not the longest of journeys I didn't think it
could be that hard. Boy was I wrong.
A few minutes into my walk I realised the weird noises I could
hear were my surroundings that I normally drown out with the help of my iPod.
As I had decided to try and have a computer-free journey I joined the queue to
speak to a cashier at the train station rather than use the self-service
machine. When on my train things really got difficult, without my phone I realised
I didn't have a way of telling the time (note to self - wear your watch), of communicating with my colleagues
about when or where to meet. I also had no distraction from making eye-contact
with other compute-less commuters. I decided to read the paper (I did this most
days anyway so didn't think it could be any different) when I realised again
the noises I could here were people around me, and the lady on the tannoy and
the squeaks and squeals of the train, all things I knew happened but were new
to my music filled ears. After arriving at Luton station I took the short walk
to University where I couldn't have been more relieved to feel like I had
achieved my goal (or at least half of it – there was still the way home to go
yet!) Finally reaching into my bag to find my phone I thought I must have
messages, missed calls, emails, everything I mean I hadn't looked at my phone
in nearly half an hour! The reality? Nothing! Just my normal wallpaper staring
back at me. Refusing to believe this I slid my phone up just to check but nope,
the gadget I am so reliant of during my travels had sat dormant in my bag completely
unaware we had ever been apart!
With this new knowledge I have to admit the journey home was
slightly easier, although a lot noisier and with no paper to read did seem to
last three times the length of the morning journey. But all in all, I survived
and I have to admit it was quite nice to be unreachable to the world if only
for half an hour at a time!
The common sight on the Underground - I wonder if any of them could go computer-less for a journey!
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