On keeping a sense of proportion

I was sitting in the train to Stupidville this morning, minding my own business, when it unexpectedly came to a halt in a one-dog town (too small for a horse). This was highly unusual: an ICE would usually flash through a village like this without even registering it, let alone stopping. Clearly, something had gone wrong somewhere.

We were there quite a long time. After a few minutes, the conductor made an announcement: We are going to be here for an indefinite period of time, because the track to Stupidville is blocked by a burning train. A passenger further down the carriage cursed and muttered "why does this always happen to me?"

Excuse me, you ignorant yuppie asshole: it is not happening to you. It is happening to the poor sods in the train that is burning. You, asshole, are just waiting. There are worse things in life than waiting, for instance sitting in a burning train; or standing outside a burning train watching your luggage go up in flames. Shut the fuck up and think for a quarter of a second about something other than your own pitiful pathetic self.

So there.

I've looked through the online news, and found no reference to the fire, so presumably (hopefully) nobody was hurt.

The meeting went well. The SBPFFSC is still quite happy with the software, and we had a pleasant lunchtime conversation about Venice and opera houses.