Culture

Christopher Pyne Has Just Discovered Public Transport, Is Getting Truly Roasted

Of course he sits on the aisle seat while the window seat is free.

by Sam Langford  1 February 2018
christopher pyne tram

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Today, Christopher Pyne caught a tram.

If this seems like it’s not news, that’s because it objectively isn’t: regular people catch public transport all the time without fanfare or ceremony.

Suffice to say Pyne is not a regular person, though, because today he excitedly had someone take a photo of him nearly shitting himself with glee on a perfectly ordinary tram, with the caption “traveling on a tram in Adelaide today in between meetings!” (exclamation mark was his). Seriously, look at that delight. It’s almost wholesome.

This is not the first time we’ve seen a bizarre picture of Pyne sitting alone, ecstatic, proudly declaring to the world that he does not need friends, thank you very much. But it’s the first time we’ve seen him do it on an Adelaide tram, and the cumulative effect is the strong impression that we are beholding a man who has never once set foot on public transport.

Naturally, Twitter has gone in for the roast.

It’s not just Pyne’s face that’s entertaining, either. There’s a lot going on in this mostly empty tram; every face tells a story.

In particular, there’s this guy. What has he seen? What does he know?

We may never know, just as we may never know what secret joy is illuminating Pyne in this moment. What we do know is that, much like this 2015 picture of Christopher Pyne sitting alone on a chair outside Parliament, there’s something strangely wonderful about this image. Enjoy it, cherish it, and sneak a glance at it on your far less idyllic public transport rides home.