Innovation in design

The Paris metro system makes use of what i had considered quite an ingenious system for coping with varying levels of usage. Roughly a third of all seats, typically those nearest the doors, are jump seats: they are spring-loaded seats which are held up when not in use. When there are many people who want to use the train, these seats are left up allowing more people to enter. When fewer people are on the train the seats can be folded down and used. Great idea, right?

Sunday, while riding in one of the jump seats on the metro i received a call on my cell phone. In a hurry to get my cell phone out of my pants pocket before i missed the call, i stood up. Having successfully answered the call, and not wanting to fall over due to the shaking of the train, i decided to sit down again. Unfortunately, my seat had folded itself back into the wall. And so, cellphone in hand, pretentious European-looking scarf around my neck, i fell flat on my ass on the Paris metro, much to the delight of a small Filipino lady sitting across from me.