Commuting by Numbers: People Edition
Back in February I started a semi-regular feature called Commuting by Numbers. From time to time, on those rides to work where I can’t read (busy streetcar, or on my bike) I’ll count things of interest to see what patterns emerge. My tallies, and those of some other bloggers I strongarmed into playing along, can be found in my Commuting category.
The other day, my otherwise brilliant friend Chris admitted to counting groundhogs on his way to work, and I pointed him to my blog. He had an interesting comment:
It occurred to me that you are engaged in Mass Observation, which was a movement that existed in the 30s and 40s that encouraged as many people as possible to observe and record the minutiae of a particular place and time. The organizers were actually hired by the U.S. and British governments to record war-time activity.
Myself, I just figured I was borderline autistic or something. Anyhow, there’s a fabulous New Yorker article on the Mass Observation here. Chris went on to say how this sort of analysis is the opposite of most blogging:
Reading the article, I was thinking that what blogs represent today is a “Mass Introspection” movement - but yours actually runs counter to that and closer to Mass Observation. Now that you also have me counting animals during a commute, that is.
The phenomenon was more about human behaviour than groundhogs, but you can certainly deduce certain behaviours from physical objects. Which brings me to the dataset below. I’m tempted to draw certain conclusions from the results that surprised me: the ratio of newspapers to iPods, the prevalence of smoking, the fact that I should probably stop carrying a backpack, etc. But I’ll let you decide for yourself.
Later this week I’ll have two more editions: Transportation, and Animals. Observe well!
Commuting by Numbers: People Edition
Commuter: Paul Gorbould
Location: Downtown Toronto
Commuting time: 45 minutes
Route: Queen/King Streets, via streetcar
People carrying a coffee cup: 52
People carrying a reusable mug: 6
People smoking: 37
People smoking AND carrying a coffee: 4
Men using dainty cigarette holders: 1
People carrying shoulder bags (not incl. purses): 202
People wearing backpacks: 143
Goth kids: 7
People with dreadlocks: 6
Homeless men dressed like Santa: 2 (!)
People wearing baseball hats: 30
People wearing Castro hats (tee hee): 8
People wearing peaked caps: 3
People wearing fedoras: 1
Men on cell phones: 23
Women on cell phones: 26
People wearing iPods: 41
People wearing all other music players: 23
People using a Blackberry: 5
People carrying a newspaper: 4
People using cameras: 3
People wearing ties: 16
People wearing “Frankie Says Relax” T-shirts: 1
As I’ve said before, I’d really be delighted if anyone out there wants to count something and let me know about it - I’ll link to it or publish it here. And if you have suggestions for me to count, I’m all ears. Well, 2 ears.
Posted by: Paul Gorbould | 06-26-2007 | 11:06 PM
Posted in: Toronto | Commuting
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How do I blog thee? Let me count the ways!
Paul, this is a pretty cool (i.e., distractingly fun even if useless) thing to do. I like it. Unfortunately, I drive to work, so counting would be dangerous (except maybe counting stop signs & red vs. green lights). Oh, and sexy pedestrians. Anyway.
Question: do you use a clipboard or something? Coz damn, that’s a lot of stuff to keep in your head. And did you decide in advance what you were going to count?
What you really need to get this blog-driven mass-observation thing off the ground is an aggregation method. Like, you need a bunch of people to count, and then input their numbers. Maybe connect it with Google Maps (or that street-view thing).
Double plus cool! But only 4 people with newspapers? 4?! And what about all the people reading novels on the streetcar? Or are you only looking out the window? I’ll have to collect some streetcare numbers for you next time I’m on the Neville Park car. Lots of books there. Can’t wait for the next installment.
Thanks very much, Chris and Vivian!
To answer your question, Chris, on days that I decide to track stuff (e.g. when the streetcar is too packed to comfortably read) I’ll grab a notebook or a scrap of paper, and use the tried-and-true hash mark counting method to track 3-4 things. I have a list of ideas of what to count, but I can only accurately monitor a few things at once. If it’s something incredibly common, like cell phones or backpacks, I’ll sometimes only count that one thing. If it’s something uncommon - Ferraris, fedoras - I can do a bunch at a time.
I absolutely agree, it would be cool to spread this out, and map it somehow…
Vivian, although I haven’t specifically counted novels (yet) you’d be surprised how few I see on my streetcar. I think the longer commuters bring more robust reading materials. And looking out the window, you see zero serious readers. Sad, really, though I guess it makes it easier to walk in a straight line.
I read the mass oberservation article in the New Yorker too, it also reminds me of a recent article in the same magazine about the guy who wears a digital cam around his neck and is in the process of documenting everything in his life.
Click my name for your very own Frankie Says Relax shirt!