Auricle in Transit: Assorted Stories (2023)

In the hustle & bustle of transit, we spend so much time beside strangers, yet remain in the dark about their lives. Ever wonder how people around you are really doing? From August to October, 2023, eight Local Listeners – everyday folks who signed up to listen to their fellow transit-users – hung out in stations an on buses & LRTs to gather 175 stories about wellbeing. They ran pop-ups, rode buses and LRTs, and even dressed up in cosutmes! We tried to spread a little delight and joy with s’mores, fancy coffees, watermelon, music, dancing and even a photo booth!

Our goal was to meet people with different life experiences, identities, and perspectives. This little book is a random selection of the 175 stories Local Listeners gathered. While these 15 stories do not reflect all of the voices heard, they do offer a glimpse of the moments in and around transit that shaped people’s sense of wellbeing, for better or worse.

We invite you to:

1. Notice your reactions.
2. Get curious. What’s similar or different to your own experiences?