Public osmosis by "eavesdropping"

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 12 Oct 2005, 05:18

I was on the train going to the conference yesterday. At one point, I looked around the carriage, at all the people probably completely oblivious to the energy issue. I felt the urge to want to stand up and tell them all, but knowing that I'd look a complete nutter, I just sat there and felt tears in my eyes.

On the way back, I called my girlfriend and told her a little bit about how it went. I realised that, I'd be a nutter trying to have a direct conversation with people on the train, but, having a conversation with "someone else" on a cellphone wouldn't be nutty, and just might pique interest if they were in earshot, eavesdropping.

So, maybe it could be worth having conversations in public to "friends on a cellphone". A mad idea would be to have conversations with no-one on such a 'phone!

Hmmm....."Peak Oil, Everybody is talking about it". Am I barking yet?

PowerSwitchJames · Post by **PowerSwitchJames** » 12 Oct 2005, 09:08

A crowded commuter train is the perfect place to speak about it!

I've done this pretty much every time I'm on a train with a fellow PeakNik (including on the way in to the conference and on the way back!) - we even unrolled a massive poster of a Hubbert's Curve!

It is all about planting seeds.

newmac · Post by **newmac** » 12 Oct 2005, 09:24

Perhaps if you get a lifesize cardboard cutout of Colin Campbell you could talk to that about Peak Oil on the train?

How about getting a portable DVD player and playing End of Suburbia to the carriage?

MacG · Post by **MacG** » 12 Oct 2005, 09:24

Bloody smart! I'll steal that one immedeately!

Anyone read Wiliam Gibson's latest? "Pattern Recognition"? Come to think about it since he juggle with similar concepts.

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 12 Oct 2005, 11:52

Bandidoz wrote: Hmmm....."Peak Oil, Everybody is talking about it". Am I barking yet?

No.

Thats one of the ways memes spread below the conscious 'radar'. Very good idea.

jwanders · Post by **jwanders** » 12 Oct 2005, 13:37

I think "The Corporation" talks about this as the new form of marketing... apparently companies are actually paying people to talk loudly about how good CD X is, etc. I've yet to spot anything I though was an actual case, though...

peaky · Post by **peaky** » 14 Oct 2005, 13:39

PowerSwitchJames wrote:we even unrolled a massive poster of a Hubbert's Curve!

Yea a friend and I were discussing PO on the train back home and I was very aware that people may have been listening. In fact, I've just remembered

that I ended up engaged in a really interesting PO conversation with a couple of 'blokes' one time because of this very approach so it certainly is worth doing whenever you have the chance.

newmac · Post by **newmac** » 14 Oct 2005, 13:41

I'm already looking forward to my 1.5 hour journey to Norfolk tonight. I haven't updated Liz on the PO situation for a while and i'm sure with the vin rougue flowing I may have to raise my voice. I'll make sure I take some pamphlets along.....

Public osmosis by "eavesdropping"

Public osmosis by "eavesdropping"

Re: Public osmosis by "eavesdropping"