The Train bumps and jolts its way along the tracks as we make the morning push to the big city to fulfill our societal right. Our right to work which is really a necessity which makes the whole commuting thing even more difficult.

The train is no longer a place of solitude and newspaper noises it is now littered with “crackberries” – those addicted to Blackberries and other handled devices. You could be sandwiched in between a Crackberry and a Treo-er. These folks are easily identified by their rapid thumb movement as they type on keys no bigger then a baby’s fingernail.

They possess Rapid Thumb Posture which is a hunched, stooped look with a bent neck. This Device Driven Society member suffers from back problems and thumb cramps not to mention a persistent and nagging eye twitch. They are enraptured by two inch screens and the ability to know everything at a moments notice.

In addition to the addicted PDA crowd we also have the iPODers and MP3ers who live in a zone all by themselves. They are generally easily identified by a white rubbery string like thing hanging out of their heads while they sway to the beat of Beatles to Beethoven.

When you walk onto the train in the morning and scan the car for the perfect seat – one hopefully that you will be lucky enough to occupy alone – you notice that the Device Drivers are out in full force and that heads are bent in a downward fashion while they become one with their device of choice.

Some long for the days of social interaction and the feeling of connecting with another human being - of an intense relationship that you derive pleasure and companionship from. While others long for the solitude of a one to one touch of cold metal and plastic. Of white rubbery things shoved in their ears, of reaching out and touching itty bitty keys and for mastering the art of driving a car while managing the multiple devices.

Road trips used to be filled with singing and laughter and rolling hills. Now it’s the Rolling Stones being played through iPods which are then hooked up through a tangled mass of wires to the car stereo. It’s swerving to stay in your lane while thumbing your way through yet another urgent e-mail. Life is made easier by these devices right? Safer, right? Improved, right?

As I move through my job today I know that I too will succumb to the need to bond with my Devices. For men a Treo/Blackberry is referred to as their mistress. She is demanding and needy requiring attention on a moments notice. Yet so often men must keep her a secret not letting her be seen in public and finding the dark alleys and quiet corners to softly caress her keys and stroke her ever present demands. It is an affair that will endure the test of time and will no doubt provide much pleasure and pain. She is an expensive habit and hard to break.

For women a Treo/Blackberry is referred to as her master. She is driven by its requests and demands and is fearful of not responding to it in a timely manner. She is possessed of a will so strong that she knows she must serve the master well or it will continue to deliver its noisy protests while flashing its true nature via the wild and ill mannered e-mail airwaves. She must be cautious as it begins to entwine her in a ceaseless barrage of burdens both big and small. When the master calls she knows her duty and she responds. The attachment is strong and the bonds can not easily be broken.


The end of the day has drawn near and my evening commute begins. It is just like the morning only in reverse order. The same Device Drivers are on the train. The same addicted, the same attached, the same focused and content Device Drivers permeate the train. Gone are the days of a train ride. We now welcome the Device ride. Notice your fellow passengers, look around and identify them as the new generation. Accept them, embrace them, become one if you can handle it.