This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

The Lost Sock - Lonely Laundromat

 

MIT Glass Lab
A Day in the Life: Judi Freeman
What Scuba Divers Do on Easter
Todd Farm Antique Show and Flea Market

 

Photo of the outside of a building with the sign that reads 'The Lost Sock'. Photograph of a laundromats showing a wide variety of people. But much like oil and water, you can put different people together in a laundromat but they won’t mix. Photograph of the people at the Lost Sock Laundromat. They act much like planets, orbiting around each other but never meeting. Photograph of a Bostonian at the Lost Sock. He explains that it is called the Lost Sock because people here are like lost socks—they’re mismatched and lonely. Photograph of Evelyn, a retired University of Massachusetts professor from Alaska, at the Lost Sock. Photograph of Robert, a mechanic on vacation from North Carolina at the Lost Sock. He explains that in North Carolina, doing laundry is a social event. Photograph of people doing laundry at the laundramat and apperaring like they do not want to be bothered. Photograph of a variety of people checking into the laundromat. A couple from India explains that 'potential laundromats have to be a meeting ground for the collaboration of great minds who otherwise would never have met.' Photograph of The Lost Sock showing a great variety of people from completely different backgrounds. Photograph of a British couple on tour from England who is very excited to be doing laundry for the first time – they explain that at home they 'have people who do that' for them. Photograph of a variety of people and personalities doing laundry at the laundromat. Photograph of a dad doing laundry. He finds himself doing laundry more often now that his young sons live with him. Photograph of a graphic designer and a lady with a dog doing laundry. Photograph of a Spanish student who is visiting MIT for a research project doing laundry with his dad. Dad says that he had never seen a laundromat before. Photograph of an 'unfriendly' environment in the laundromat. It causes everyone to follow suit. Photograph of the people of the Lost Sock moving around each other like a planet in an orbit who are careful never to come too close to one another and who are highly aware of unspoken rules that dictate a lack of engagement and interaction. Photograph of people doing laundry in an unfriendly atmosphere. Photograph of people doing laundry. A lady explains that the lack of space in the city creates the unfriendly atmosphere inside the laundromat. Most people at the Lost Sock agreed that they consider laundry time as their personal time and they feel like any sort of interaction with other people during this time is an intrusion.