[lbo-talk] No road rage, but trains are stressful ...

[Carrol Cox]

Too many factors not allowed for, and no control groups. Perhaps merely
going into Manhattan raises stress levels. How do these stress levels
compare to stress levels of those who drive in? Of those who drive into
or take a train into other large cities? Crowds trigger panic attacks in
some people that suffer from depression, and though I've never had a
panic attack, I've been greatly stressed off and on by croweds -- I know
two people who _can't_ shop at Walmart because it triggers an actual
panic attack. ("Panic attack" is a technical term here: they most
resemble a heart attack, and sometimes can be confused with one.) I
never let political views interfere with my relation to commodities, but
I never shop at Walmart because I too am somewhat affected by crowds. I
stopped shopping at Kohls for the same reason -- narrow aisles and lots
of people.

In any case, Nothing useful can be said about the relation of X to
stress unless X is carefully compared to Y, Z, P, Q, R, XX, YY, PP, QQ,
RR, ......NN.

Carrol

Jordan Hayes wrote:
> 
> [ Relaxed commute?  Ha!  --JMH ]
> 
> Rail commuters like to brag that they have cushy commutes compared with
> people who drive to work -- they can nap, read a book and work on
> laptops. But commuting by train also is stressful, a new study has
> found. And the longer the commute, the more stress levels increase.
> 
> Researchers studied 208 commuters taking trains from New Jersey to
> Manhattan. They measured the commuters' saliva for the stress hormone
> cortisol at the end of the commute and once again the following weekend
> at the commuters' homes. They also analyzed questionnaires filled out
> by the commuters and their spouses, and asked each participant to
> proofread a document at the end of the commute.
> 
> They found that, minute by minute, physiological and psychological
> stress rise in train commuters. At the end of the commute, which
> averaged 81 minutes, participants were less able to complete the simple
> proofreading task, used to measure the aftereffects from stress.
> 
> The research, published recently in the journal Health Psychology,
> suggests that there are factors about rail commuting -- perhaps the
> lack of control, noise, crowding and effort it takes --that take a toll
> on people.
> 
> "I think you get worn out," said study co-author Gary Evans, a
> professor of human ecology at Cornell University. "People tend to say
> that after awhile you get used to the stress.
> 
> "But we used experienced commuters. I don't think you get used to it."
> 
> http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/15597912.htm
> 
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