Most people have experienced some kind of meaningful connection with a stranger – and this railway company is ensuring that all of their passengers can try and get a second chance with those missed conversations.
Dutch Railways has been running a publication that broadcasts their passengers’ missed connections in the hopes that they will be able to facilitate meet-ups between these special strangers.
The Hartkloppingen page – or “Heatbeats” in English – was originally published in the organization’s free onboard magazine. In 2008, they moved the section to a Tumbler account.
The page reads: “Every day, more than 1 million people travel by train. And then it can happen that you have a very nice conversation with a fellow traveler. Or not, and then you are out of luck afterwards. Do not worry, because here you can leave a message for that nice travel companion. And who knows, [maybe] you will travel together next time!”
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Some of the posts are pretty playful – like this one that was translated by NPR:
“We sat on a balcony in the train from Amersfoort to Utrecht. I had fries with peanut sauce — afraid it would stink up the whole train. You had a mullet, just came from a singing bowls concert. I think you’re pretty. Thought it was way too short, the time we chatted. Want to catch up?”
Other broadcasts, such as this one from a 22-year-old male passenger, have a more wistful tone:
“On Saturday evening … I was on my way to Hilversum in the Intercity. You [were] already waiting outside the coupe, while I was just walking around with my bags. The sliding door slipped right in front of my nose, which you also noticed. You laughed at me, and I laughed back. Then we looked at each other in a shy way and smiled through the glass of the sliding door, before the reality returned and we both had to leave. Did we have a moment, or did I see that wrong?”
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While the railway company may not have exact metrics concerning the page’s success, they told NPR that roughly 4,000 relationships blossom into fruition on their trains every year – and with the help of Heartbeats, they hope that there will be even more during the coming year.
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