The Training Incident

So last week one was, as has become somewhat usual lately, making one's commute home by the conveyance of the public locomotive system.

As the carriages pulled in at one of the stops a couple of young people boarded - one of them conspicuously carrying a banjo. They settled into seats quite close to me and it was not long before the gentle strains of banjo plucking began to grace one's journey (in a wholly un-deliverance like manner I hasten to point out).

A few stops later a woman, several seats further away from the player than I, stood to exit and enlightened the whole carriage in the field of Australian train etiquette with the following diatribe:

"Hey, you shouldn't be playing that in here, this is Australia we don't allow busking on the train, our trains are a place for everyone to be quiet. You shouldn't be playing that in here"

As she was stepping onto the platform she could be heard advising the embarking passengers:

"Tell that man to stop playing with his banjo. It's not right, we don't do that sort of thing in Australia ...m.m..m..m..m.m.m.m.m.m."

So, as I haven't given you one in a while, here's a Caution: do not pluck a musical instrument on an Australian train lest your un-Australian attitude be exposed to all and sundry.


Needless to say I am now fully informed and shall never be caught playing banjo on public transport, ever.
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