Lauren Goode: Oh, actually?
Zoë Schiffer: Yes.
Lauren Goode: I didn’t have that have on Caltrain.
Zoë Schiffer: Well, you were not studying Infinite Jest on the Caltrain, have been you now?. That was my catfishing approach.
Lauren Goode: What was your worst commute, Mike?
Michael Calore: There was a time frame within the early 2000s once I was dwelling out within the Sunset district of San Francisco. Which there’s a few trains that may carry you downtown, however they take an hour. And it was pre-mobile expertise, so we had Discman Walkman gamers, moveable CD gamers, so that you needed to carry a bit of guide of CDs. And folks would learn newspapers. I keep in mind one day-
Zoë Schiffer: Sounds actually romantic.
Lauren Goode: I used to be simply going to say of us listening who do not keep in mind these occasions, this was a locomotive prepare and also you hand-cranked the Discman.
Zoë Schiffer: It was 200 BCE.
Michael Calore: I simply keep in mind there was a lot stuff you needed to carry simply in your commute. And the brand new Harry Potter guide got here out, and all people on the prepare was studying this 10 pound, thick, hardcover Harry Potter guide on the similar time and speaking about it. Lauren, you need to inform us your unhealthy commute story.
Lauren Goode: There was a time frame on the East coast the place I used to be commuting on the Metro North prepare, after which as soon as I received into New York City, I needed to hop on the subway and head all the best way downtown.
Michael Calore: Two trains. Stuffy. Lots of people pushing.
Lauren Goode: Yeah. Lots of people studying the Wall Street Journal.
Zoë Schiffer: Say no extra.
Lauren Goode: It was lengthy, and it sucked the life out of me. While the pandemic was not a very good factor, it is a good factor that none of us had to return into the workplace anymore. We’re carried out with that? Welcome to Uncanny Valley from WIRED, a present in regards to the folks, energy, and affect of Silicon Valley, hosted by me, senior author, Lauren Goode, and my co-hosts.
Michael Calore: I’m Michael Calore, director of client tech and tradition at WIRED.
https://www.wired.com/story/uncanny-valley-podcast-2-big-tech-return-to-office/