This morning on my way in to work, the streetcar line was ridiculously long so I decided to just take another train south until I got to Queen St. It was an uncomfortable ride down–not because the train was crowded. Instead, I was being assaulted: not physically, but from an onslaught of profanity. Two seats over, this young guy met a friend of his on the train whom he hadn’t seen since before Christmas. He proceeded to greet him loudly using dual F-bombs liberally. Nothing I haven’t heard before, but this time it was especially loud. The were talking about not having seen each other since their respective jail times, how they had court dates coming up and how they were fond of smoking crack. I didn’t want to make eye contact, and neither did anyone else in the area; however, you couldn’t help but be dragged kicking and screaming into their world. Mercifully, my stop came soon enough and I got out.

I don’t think I’m particularly sensitive to cursing. I’ve noticed that I swear with greater frequency in comparison to others in my circle of friends. I think there’s a saying out there that says that resorting to curse words just shows a lack of vocabulary. I think there’s some truth to that when it comes to some people. Sometimes though, there just aren’t any other words that pack quite the punch when you need it. As an interjection, they’re pretty useful. Thing is, there’s a time and a place for them.

(As a side note, Merriam-Webster mentions “ejaculation” as a cross-reference for the word interjection. I’m amused by that more than I should be.)

I’ve written that I like to step back into my own little world while I’m on the subway. I’m sure most people are like that. I don’t mind it when people have conversations, but when people do it loudly they’re forcing it on everyone around them. There’s no way to escape it! When someone includes curse words all over the loud conversation, I’d liken it to wildly swinging a nerf bat on a crowded train–it won’t kill anybody, but it has impact and it damn irritating. I don’t want to sound like a nag, but there are unspoken rules on how to act, right? Ugh.

I suppose though that people like those two aren’t really concerned with society, right? I mean, they seemed to be throwing the idea of prison sentences and hard drugs around like it was a part of everyday life. It’s maddening and disheartening at the same time. Interestingly, when one of them got off the train, he had the presence of mind to say “excuse me” to get by some people on the way out. It’s not that I didn’t think he was capable of being polite…but it didn’t fit the profile of the guy I’d already built in my head. It’s an interesting contrast. To tell you the truth, it kind of bothers me that I profiled them so quickly. I guess though it’s only human to make these kinds of snap-judgements. Still, As they spoke, it only confirmed what I had already judged.

Just another day on the commute.