Single-serving urban planning
Funny, Joe’s post on transportation in Melbourne reminded me of an Australian guy that I met last year on a flight from LA to Chicago. When I revealed in conversation that I didn’t have a car, his eyes bugged, and he was stone silent for a second or two. I’m used to that in LA; I assumed he was feeling a little sympathy for my transportation problems. (Hell, even the State Farm clerk here clucked her tongue when I explained why I would be buying renter’s insurance from them, but no car insurance. “It must be hard for you to get a date,” she blurted out. “Oh, I’m sorry.”)
But, instead, the Australian asked, “How old are ya?” “Twenty-four,” I say matter-of-factly. He shakes his head. “Twenty-four, and ya never had a car.” It was clear he was speaking of a developmental milestone that I had yet to reach. There was real pity in his voice, and a bit of suppressed condescension. You could say “woman” in place of “car,” and the tone would fit perfectly.
“Oh, I used to have a car,” I answer too quickly. “I sold it when I went back to school.”
He brightens, shooting me a why-didn’t-you-say-so look. “Oh, yeah,” he says, and laughs, the condescension melting away. We talk about the price of American education; he’s speaking to an equal again.
Nice guy, really.