4 ms·
Super sad. I really enjoyed talking with people in the dining car. The idea that I'm sharing a real dinner with other people, not just tucking into a sandwich a
by peterwwillis 7y ago
Super sad. I really enjoyed talking with people in the dining car. The idea that I'm sharing a real dinner with other people, not just tucking into a sandwich at my assigned seat, was part of the romance of long distance rail travel.
This reminds me of how bizarre it is when you're in a coffee shop with little tables that can fit 2-4, but because there's one person at it, nobody shares. Our personal bubbles have grown bigger. Is there a way to hang a sign that says "open to socialization - I don't bite" ?
- rectang 7y agoCoffee shops that wish to encourage socialization can provide large tables which seat 6-12 rather than two-tops. I was a regular at a coffee shop for 7 years, and this was one of the reasons. (RIP Rebecca's Coffee House.) I met lots of people by striking up conversations with someone seated at the same large table. (Some people don't want to talk, but if you have the social skills to read the signs, it's no big deal.)
- oh_sigh 7y agoI think you would need a "no devices" rule there or else a 12 top would just become the home of 5 people on laptops.
- rectang 7y agoEven without such a rule, it's still a social win over 5 two-tops with one patron each, as far as I'm concerned — and it's probably a wash for per-square-foot revenue.