Last night I learned the cafe car on Amtrak is the place to be.  I met two really cool women who both happen to work in retail (they didn’t know each other either).  They ride Amtrak instead of the commuter rail between Boston and Providence because it’s much nicer, on-time, faster, etc. They had a really cool conversation about working in major retail stores (both were managers) and how sales are up but a huge portion of that is due to international people buying stuff.  Apparently it’s very common for people from Asia and Brazil to fly to Logan, go to the mall, buy suitcases, fill those suitcases with tons of shit and go back to their country to presumably resell it.  They also try and bargain their way out of paying sales tax which is pretty annoying.  They talked about lots of other very cool stuff regarding the stores they work in - hearing other people talk about their jobs is fun, especially if they are good at them which these women must be. Anyway, the other fascinating part of this was one of the ladies talking about how her husband had recently lost the use of hands (not permanently, thank goodness) and how his iPad basically saved his life.  He loves to read and be online but it’s too hard to turn pages and press keys.  But the touch screen at least makes reading really easy for him so he’s able to do that until he can hold a book again.  I had never though of that but it’s really interesting.  I think this must happen all the time, technology being adapted for alternate uses or additional benefits being found where they aren’t expected.  I think I won’t rag on the Kindle or iPad for reading anymore. So yup, cafe car rules.

Last night I learned the cafe car on Amtrak is the place to be.  I met two really cool women who both happen to work in retail (they didn’t know each other either).  They ride Amtrak instead of the commuter rail between Boston and Providence because it’s much nicer, on-time, faster, etc.

They had a really cool conversation about working in major retail stores (both were managers) and how sales are up but a huge portion of that is due to international people buying stuff.  Apparently it’s very common for people from Asia and Brazil to fly to Logan, go to the mall, buy suitcases, fill those suitcases with tons of shit and go back to their country to presumably resell it.  They also try and bargain their way out of paying sales tax which is pretty annoying.  They talked about lots of other very cool stuff regarding the stores they work in - hearing other people talk about their jobs is fun, especially if they are good at them which these women must be.

Anyway, the other fascinating part of this was one of the ladies talking about how her husband had recently lost the use of hands (not permanently, thank goodness) and how his iPad basically saved his life.  He loves to read and be online but it’s too hard to turn pages and press keys.  But the touch screen at least makes reading really easy for him so he’s able to do that until he can hold a book again.  I had never though of that but it’s really interesting.  I think this must happen all the time, technology being adapted for alternate uses or additional benefits being found where they aren’t expected.  I think I won’t rag on the Kindle or iPad for reading anymore.

So yup, cafe car rules.

  1. pushbartoopen reblogged this from iweartshirts and added:
    Incredible, really.
  2. iweartshirts posted this
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