Electric Josh

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

So I was coming home from work late, sitting on the T. As usual, a bunch of high-schooly kids were bombing back and forth across the train at Park Street, where the doors open on both sides, trying to figure out which way they were going to get off. The last of a particular pack of girls to get off managed to get her backpack caught in the closing doors; she didn't manage to pull it out, so the the guy in the now-moving train, who had been trying to help her recover her backpack, ended up with the thing in his hands.

Laughter among the passengers ensued that was only partly sympathetic. We aboard the train agreed that we'd never seen that happen before. At least she had the good sense to let go of the damn thing.

The guy with the girl's backpack started rifling through it for ID, but came up instead with a cell phone. "Here we go. I'll call one of her friends." A few stops later he wandered off the train conversing with the girl over the phone. Lucky he was a nice guy... #

...

FDR, one of the greatest presidents we've ever had, famously said,

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Now Tom Ridge, Homeland Security chief, says (and hopefully won't become famous for saying),

I think the greatest danger is of the unknown.

What a visionary. Surely a thinker or a communicator would be better in this role, rather than someone who's merely a friend of W's. #