Trains How To Better Spend Your Time
About the project The title of this project was ‘identity’ and I decided to look at what made Huddersfield. I found that the railway was an important part of the town both historically and now. Huddersfield station sees thousands of passengers travel through it each year. Which got me thinking about how much time we actually spend in stations and commuting. I wanted to look at how I could improve this and make the time better spent.
I started by asking people what they hated most about their commutes and the project grew from there. I conducted at a lot of research before begining this book all my referneces and more information can be found on my website: www.WalkerGraphicDesign. Wordpress.com
I aim to inspire people to stop wasting their time on trains.
S G AT E G N I K
The Commute After asking people what they liked or hated most about their daily commute and came up with these illustrations of what the train meant to them.
“Every morning is the same, overcrowded, packed in like sa
ardines�
The Passengers The following are real stories from real commutors*. “A passenger stole my reserved seat and when I polietly asked to move he put his headphones in and looked out the window instead. I had to spend the rest of the hour journey sat on my friends knee” “On my way home a drunk stanger sat next to me on the train and proceeded to fall asleep on my shoulder. I nearly missed my stop trying to wake him up!” “Began to eat a very smelly fish sandwich on a crowded train then left without clearing it up.” “Flushed rubbish down the toilet whcih then over flowed and flooded the carraige.” *Some stories have been edited for clarity, length and anonmyity. Submit your own story at www.WalkerGraphicDesign. Wordpress.com
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A passenger stole my reserved seat and when I polietly asked to move he put his headphones in and looked out the window instead.
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Some Statistics
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Research shows that the average commuter spends 2 hours commuting on trains per day and in 2017 there were 252 working days. That means in 2017 we spent 504 hours a year comutting. For most people travelling by train is unavoidable so here I hope to offer a few ideas on how to spend the time better. Here are 10 things you could do on trains.
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Catch up on telly Why not use this time to catch up on your favourite TV programs or watch a film? Many services such as BBC iplayer and Netflix let you download programs to watch later, so data is not a problem!
Read a Book Why not loose yourself in a book? 10 hours a week is more than enough time to read all those books that you’ve been putting off reading. If you need some inspiration for books, free websites like www. goodreads.com offer suggestions based on books you like as well as thousands of user generated ratings and reviews. Not got money to spare? Don’t worry libraries are free to use and they have almost every book ever written.
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to mak -e a
If you dont buy your tickets online, chances are you have hundreds of paper tickets lying around. Try making something with them. Here you can learn to make a paper fox out of your tickets. A fun way to pass the time.
Ho
Find a use for all your used train tickets
a Anytime Day Single Valid for one journey from Huddersfield to Leeds
d
b
Adult Standard Class Refundable for a fee
2
ay Single urney from Huddersfield to Leeds
Class
Fold Backwards.
1 Start with your paper ticket laid flat and fold side b backwards so that it is the same as side a. Then fold side d to make a square and un-fold side b
ay Single urney from Huddersfield Leeds to
Class
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Fold both backwards.
ay ur S fr ne ing le to om y
H Le ud d e ds ers fie ld
5 As you fold ay Single urney ersfield from Hudd Leeds to
Class
4 Fold backwards.
ld
ie
el d
i
a y ur S fr ne ing le to om y H Le ud ed de s rsf
a y ur S fr ne ing le to om y H Le ud ed de s rsf
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side a along the dotted line, there should be a three layers, only fold the top one. Take the point of the second layer, pushing it down so it folds in on itself. Leave the last layer how it is. It should now look like figure 6.
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Fold forwards.
Fold backwards.
ay Single urney ersfield from Hudd Leeds to
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You’re finished. Optional next step, find a pen to add a cute face to your fox. Two dots for eyes and one for a nose is enough.w
Catch up with someone close When was the last time you called your mum or your friend from uni? The train is the perfect time to call someone and catch up. Its always nice to hear from people you like why not just pick up the phone and call home. I know my mum can talk for Britain, so the time should fly by. Try texting them where possible. Don’t be that annoying passenger, distirbing everyone else.
Try Sketching Sketches. Now bear with me here- every family resturant in the UK (maybe) offers its younger guests a pot of crayons and paper. This isnt a coincidence, drawing is an excellent way to pass the time. A skill that will always benefit you, whether brainstorming ideas in the board room or just letting your brain switch off. Grab your ticket, a pen and draw! When you’re finished you can submit it to the online gallery or just view work from others at www.WalkerGraphicDesign. wordpress.com/2017/12/08/ ticket-gallery/ or scan the QR code at the bottom of the page
Class STD
s Type OFF-PEAK R
Adult Child ONE NIL OUT
Learn something new -like a language
504 hours is more than enough time to learn a new skill, why not make it a language? A lot of people would love to be able to speak another language so why not gove it a go? There are pleanty of apps you can download for free to your phone that make learning fun such as Babbel. All you have to do is decide which one... French..... Italian.....Spanish... Dutch....?
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Write a short story Writing is a great excersise for the mind and can often help organise your thoughts. Stuck for ideas? Don’t worry there are plenty of things to help with that ‘plot generaor’ a free app or you could buy a sentance starter notebook if you want to really commit. Here are a few to get you started.
By the time I reached the train station, it was already too late. I stood on the platform carefully observing the scene unfolding in front of me. The train stopped suddenly inside the tunnel. Find more or submit your own at www.WalkerGraphicDesign. wordpress.com
Look out the window The world is a beautiful place, we often forget. Maybe take a moment to just look out the window at all the senery passing by.
Get work done Nobody likes work, but its stuff that need to get done, maybe use this time to start that assignmemnt you’ve been putting off or answer a few emails. Either way the more you do here the more time you have to spend doing whatever you like doing later.
Relax Working is stressful so let your time on the train serve as a buffer between work and home. Use the time to relax and let your mind wander so you’re not as stressed. Close your eyes and just chill. Maybe listen to some music.
To Summerise: 1. Catch up on some Telly
7. Write a short story
2. Bring a book
8. Look out the window
3. Make a fox
9. Get stuff done
4. Catch up with family
10. Relax
5. Sketch
Got more ideas? Get in touch at:
6. Learn a new skill
www.WalkerGraphicDesign.wordpress.com
WalkerGraphicDesign.wordpress.com