Weekday afternoons, the streetcar might be the best place to see Seattle population outside of the office workers and families. The cars are not as packed as other times, and people can have a chance to sit down or even lay down if they prefer. We all live different lives, but now we are on the same streetcar together and have a chance to meet someone outside of our social circles, yet we still give privacy to others by looking on our phones, looking outside of the car, and sleeping.
When I was shooting for the project, I over heard one lady in front of me asking another young lady, “Where did you get that shoes at?” She answered, telling the older lady that she works at a restaurant, and these shoes let her stand seven hours without any pain. The older lady thanked her and probably has the shoes in mind whenever she’ll need another pair. Of course, 95% of my time on the streetcar wouldn’t hear anyone talking to strangers, but I believe there is something beautiful about public transportation spaces, which might be the most unexpected place for social interactions to happen. During their transit time, people can have a chance to see and interact with others and come out of their own worlds. People have a chance to communicate on an uniform platform.
This is my attempt at visualizing my encounters in an afternoon streetcar ride.