Have an opinion? Contact us at opinions @theotherpress.ca @ Opinions Superheroes riding trains Watch out tacky transit-goers, these heroes bite back! By Stephanie Trembath ave you ever watched Batman and found yourself wondering what superheroes do in their spare time? Bruce Wayne’s legendary character may cycle through Hollywood's hottest faces; Michael Keaton, George Clooney, and Christian Bale, but deep down everyone wishes they could be a DC comic book character. Much like Tim Kring’s TV drama Heroes, which completed its final season back in 2010, modern day mega-minds live among us; at the coffee bar, picking up a morning coffee, dropping off dry cleaning (mostly spandex and leather one- piece suits), and riding the SkyTrain just like every other common civilian. Superheroes and villains— with or without the fancy capes and neon masks—exist in society to not only save the world and promote a greater good, but to transform f .) F i \ ' and teach those around them when circumstances become dire from injustice and selfish greed. A common area frequented by many local Vancouverites, and many superheroes, are Sky Train and bus stations throughout the Lower Mainland. BC TransLink serves those who can’t afford their own automobile, and those who believe in preserving the environment by decreasing carbon dioxide gas emissions—one of the reasons why you may run into a superhero while transiting. These individuals brave poor weather conditions, carrying heavy loads across cities, and resort to the heel- toe express when there isn’t enough room or they’ve missed their bus. Rather than pamper themselves with air conditioners, heated seats, and the ability to come and go as they please, everyday transit-takers resolve to the often uncomfortable and inconvenience of TransLink’s services. While taking the train to SFU’s Harbour Centre the other morning, slipping on snow and ice while trying to warm my numb fingertips and toes, I had several encounters with superheroes. Rushing towards me in a devilish red parka and neon orange cap, I was shoulder-checked into the abyss of rush-hour individuals by aman who was too busy to notice the slippery-soled female carrying a bag filled with textbooks. Now you may think this five- foot-two girl was simply ignored as the selfish villain, serving his own purposes, rushed past her; knocking her backwards into the icy snow as she teared up and tried to brush herself off. But no, Catwoman took over, coming to the rescue and tearing this red-parka-wearing fiend into pieces with her sharp cat- like claws. My second superhero experience on the SkyTrain occurred when the SkyTrain doors opened and, much to my dismay, the entrance to the train was full with no room to enter, while the back of the train was empty with seats still free off to the side. This is one of my biggest transit pet peeves: when individuals refuse to make room for newcomers. Instead of doing what I usually do—sliding past elbows and zippers close to A fear of feelings Why are we so afraid to talk about what’s on our mind? By Kelsey MacKenzie emotionally oppressed. Have you ever just stopped to think about how rarely we're told to express love and affection? How rarely we’re taught that it’s nice to compliment people, as opposed to tearing them down? How we’re taught that material objects and money can be more satisfying and bring us more happiness than relationships with other people? We’re shown these images and ideas every day in the media, glorifying war, “cat fights,” and mind games. We’re taught that the most successful people are the ones who stepped over everyone else to get to where they are and that therefore, success is measured by status and prosperity—not the positive experiences and connections that allow us to grow as humans. [er society as a whole is If we don’t achieve the predefined idea of success, we feel inadequate and unsatisfied. We see hyper-sexualized images that show no real connection or us. It’s natural to fear rejection and judgment, but random acts of kindness are almost seen as weaknesses. We’re told “don’t give the beggar money, you’re just being “We’re emotional beings but we’ve been taught to shun any emotion but greed and pride. Furthermore, we’re expected to not express these feelings verbally, but rather in what we do.” intimacy, then are told that sex for pleasure alone is wrong, making us victims of contradictory lessons. So when we have sex, we may be denying ourselves the emotional connection that we secretly desire and afterwards may feel guilt and shame for our actions. We just don’t talk about it. We don’t talk about what needs to be talked about. We don’t feel comfortable enough to express our feelings for fear that our peers will think we’re bizarre and isolate conned” and that it’s better to keep our small change crammed in our wallets than to risk our empathy making us foolish. Men who express their emotions are seen as weak and unmanly; women who express their emotions are seen as irrational and “overly-hormonal.” We rarely discuss suicide, depression, or self-harm—or how these issues are on the rise. There is a stigma surrounding mental illnesses and as a result, the people who may be suffering are afraid to the doors—the X-Men came to my rescue with Storm, who created a gust of wind and snow and furiously blew everyone to the back of the train, where they should be. My final encounter with the extraordinary occurred when | was nearly fatally impaled with an umbrella the same size as myself! Swinging his arms around like a kung-fu fighter, two-hundred-and- fifty pounds of hard flesh came at me dancing to techno tracks. No matter what anyone says, dancing and jiving on the stairs, elevators, or narrow walkways leaving SkyTrain stations is never a good idea—proven by the fist-sized purple bruise that bloomed on my upper left thigh. I would have reacted with the same feeble glares and teary eyes as my previous encounter had Wonder Woman not shown up. Clad in her iconic gold boots and brilliant red brassiere, she promptly ran over this villain with her invisible plane before whisking me into the sky to have tea with Superman. A cautionary word for all you tacky transit-goers: be patient, be conscious, and be compassionate towards those around you. We are all heading towards the same place—with the same goal in mind—and by pushing, ignoring, and relentlessly putting oneself first, nobody ever gets ahead. seek help and are left feeling lost. Nobody really talks about it and thus, we often wait until it’s too late to take action. There is a system of oppression held against nearly every type of person in this world, though some may be more severe than others. I believe humans were put on this Earth to be happy, but the systems that we humans ourselves are guilty of allowing to remain intact seem to stop us from achieving this purpose. We’re emotional beings but we’ve been taught to shun any emotion but greed and pride. Furthermore, we’re expected to not express these feelings verbally, but rather in what we do. To fight oppression, we must love everyone and love freely. Bring shame to an end—it’s okay to feel and it’s okay to admit we care! We must begin to appreciate every single emotion inside of us for exactly what they are: natural, normal, beautiful human responses.