--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This passenger was wondering why he had…" description: "\"“This passenger was wondering why he had stolen a big grey suitcase on four wheels. Was it because he could and because the owner was a lout, or becaus..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/jonas-jonasson-7923_old-man_this-passenger-was-wondering-why-he-had_1636514.jpg" --- # This passenger was wondering why he had stolen a big grey… ![“This passenger was wondering why he had stolen a big grey suitcase on four wheels. Was it because he could and because the owner was a lout, or because the suitcase might contain a pair of shoes and even a hat? Or was it because the old man didn’t have anything to lose? Allan really couldn’t say…” quote by Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/jonas-jonasson-7923_old-man_this-passenger-was-wondering-why-he-had_1636514.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/jonas-jonasson-7923_old-man_this-passenger-was-wondering-why-he-had_1636514.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/jonas-jonasson-7923_old-man_this-passenger-was-wondering-why-he-had_1636514.jpg) > ““This passenger was wondering why he had stolen a big grey suitcase on four wheels. Was it because he could and because the owner was a lout, or because the suitcase might contain a pair of shoes and even a hat? Or was it because the old man didn’t have anything to lose? Allan really couldn’t say why he did it. When life has gone into overtime it’s easy to take liberties, he thought, and he made himself comfortable in the seat. So far, Allan was satisfied with the way the day had developed. Then he closed his eyes for his afternoon nap.”” [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes a character’s impulsive theft and subsequent contentment amid chaotic circumstances, reflecting on how people find comfort in small actions when life feels overwhelming. **In simple terms:** People find comfort in small actions during chaos. Key Takeaway Find small comforts in chaotic times. Themes chaos comfort impulsivity Mood wistful introspective Type literary narrative When to use this quote - stressful workdays - personal crises - travel delays - financial hardship Key Concepts existentialism human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What small comforts help you in stress? - How do you balance impulse and responsibility? A Different Perspective Impulsive actions can have negative consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allan Satisfied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allan-satisfied-529752/) [Grey Suitcase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grey-suitcase-529753/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Passenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passenger/) [Passenger Wondering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passenger-wondering-529751/) [Wondering Stolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wondering-stolen-529754/) ## Related quotes > [“The hundred-year-old man had never let himself be irritated by people, even when there was a good reason to be, and he was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/the-hundred-year-old-man-had-never-let-himself-be-irritated-by-people/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [I was never more alive than when the Dark Passenger was driving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-was-never-more-alive-than-when-the-dark-passenger-was-driving/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [On Thursday, a passenger forced his way into the cockpit of a United Airlines flight from Miami, but was subdued after the co-pilot hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/on-thursday-a-passenger-forced-his-way-into-the-cockpit-of-a-united/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [Sittin passenger in my rag Impala, yeah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rob/sittin-passenger-in-my-rag-impala-yeah/) [Lil Rob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rob/) > [“A traveller learns more than a passenger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-frost/a-traveller-learns-more-than-a-passenger/) [Mark Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-frost/) > [“She felt her life was like that of a passenger on one of those ferris wheel rides, but in this instance it had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-reighard/she-felt-her-life-was-like-that-of-a-passenger-on-one-of-those-ferris/) [Carla Reighard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-reighard/) > [Oft in my way have I stood still, though but a casual passenger, so much I felt the awfulness of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/oft-in-my-way-have-i-stood-still-though-but-a-casual-passenger-so/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [I think Passenger is a bit of an ambiguous thing because in the past, it's been a band, or it's been just me, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/passenger/i-think-passenger-is-a-bit-of-an-ambiguous-thing-because-in-the-past/) [Passenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/passenger/) > [“Don't you cry for the lost Smile for the living Get what you need and give what you'r given Life's for the living so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/passenger/don-t-you-cry-for-the-lost-smile-for-the-living-get-what-you-need-and/) [Passenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/passenger/) > [I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-tubman/i-never-ran-my-train-off-the-track-and-i-never-lost-a-passenger/) [Harriet Tubman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-tubman/) > [I live in fear of being a contented passenger. I'd rather get parts I can't play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gambon/i-live-in-fear-of-being-a-contented-passenger-i-d-rather-get-parts-i/) [Michael Gambon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gambon/) > [The passenger train is like the male teat - neither useful nor ornamental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-j-hill/the-passenger-train-is-like-the-male-teat-neither-useful-nor/) [James J. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-j-hill/) > [I love that - you get everything from seven-year-olds to 87-year-olds at Passenger gigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/passenger/i-love-that-you-get-everything-from-seven-year-olds-to-87-year-olds/) [Passenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/passenger/) > [Life is a train ride, and at the many stations along the route, people important to us debark, never to get aboard again, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/life-is-a-train-ride-and-at-the-many-stations-along-the-route-people/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I have always had a dread of becoming a passenger in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-always-had-a-dread-of-becoming-a-passenger-in-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jonas Jonasson > [“The weekly show View on Africa was what first gave her the insight that there was a world outside Soweto. It wasn’t necessarily more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/the-weekly-show-view-on-africa-was-what-first-gave-her-the-insight/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“And there Allan could see an opening. In a prison camp you couldn't just hang around, because if you did then the guards would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/and-there-allan-could-see-an-opening-in-a-prison-camp-you-couldn-t/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“It was tough to think in new ways and equally tough to remember the old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/it-was-tough-to-think-in-new-ways-and-equally-tough-to-remember-the/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“Revenge is like politics, one thing always leads to another until bad has become worse, and worse has become worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/revenge-is-like-politics-one-thing-always-leads-to-another-until-bad/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“Allan lurte på hva den lille mannen gjorde i luken hvis han ikke solgte billetter, men sa ingenting. Den lille mannen satt jo kanskje…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/allan-lurte-p-hva-den-lille-mannen-gjorde-i-luken-hvis-han-ikke/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“Allan woke up and wondered whether it wouldn't soon be time to go to bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/allan-woke-up-and-wondered-whether-it-wouldn-t-soon-be-time-to-go-to/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“Stařík chtěl vodku s kolou. Při slavnostnějších příležitostech si místo toho dokázal představit vodku s vodkou.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/sta-k-cht-l-vodku-s-kolou-p-i-slavnostn-j-ch-p-le-itostech-si-m-sto/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“There are undoubtedly advantages to being dead, said Julius.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/there-are-undoubtedly-advantages-to-being-dead-said-julius/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [Things are what they are, and whatever will be, will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/things-are-what-they-are-and-whatever-will-be-will-be/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“The hundred-year-old man had never let himself be irritated by people, even when there was a good reason to be, and he was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/the-hundred-year-old-man-had-never-let-himself-be-irritated-by-people/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“In the end, they could think of no better solution than to put a bullet between his eyes, so they could go about their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/in-the-end-they-could-think-of-no-better-solution-than-to-put-a/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“The engineer’s head was spinning. So he was supposed to receive a guest the president didn’t want to meet. He would tell the guest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/the-engineer-s-head-was-spinning-so-he-was-supposed-to-receive-a/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“Beer wasn't so bad; it mostly made him happy. Or semi-happy. Or, at least, not crazy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/beer-wasn-t-so-bad-it-mostly-made-him-happy-or-semi-happy-or-at-least/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“Those who only says what is the truth, they're not worth listening to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/those-who-only-says-what-is-the-truth-they-re-not-worth-listening-to/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [“There are only two things I can do better than most people. One of them is to make vodka from goats’ milk, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/there-are-only-two-things-i-can-do-better-than-most-people-one-of/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) [Explore all 69 Jonas Jonasson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) ## More Old man quotes > [“You’d better keep her tied.” “Why?” A yawn stretched Hunter’s dark face. “Because she’s looking skittish.” “She’s naked.” Sheathing his knife, Hunter flopped on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-d-better-keep-her-tied-why-a-yawn-stretched-hunter-s-dark-face/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [Therefore, brethren, pray until God gives us revelation so that "knowing this" in our spirit we may truly confess "that our old man has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/therefore-brethren-pray-until-god-gives-us-revelation-so-that-knowing/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [My old man was ruthless. He terrorised us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/my-old-man-was-ruthless-he-terrorised-us/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [There was an Old Man of Messina, Whose daughter was named Opsibeena; She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig, To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-messina-whose-daughter-was-named-opsibeena/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“IN the year 1888 Herr von Pasenow was seventy, and there were people who felt an extraordinary and inexplicable repulsion when they saw him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-broch/in-the-year-1888-herr-von-pasenow-was-seventy-and-there-were-people/) [Hermann Broch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-broch/) > [“He wants to dream like a young man with the wisdom of a old man, he wants his home and securities, he wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/he-wants-to-dream-like-a-young-man-with-the-wisdom-of-a-old-man-he/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [The true love suddenly broken, not only but like the old man who has lost the stick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-true-love-suddenly-broken-not-only-but-like-the-old-man-who-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I’m 59 and people call me middle aged. 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That's baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-harwell/a-tall-thin-old-man-waving-a-scorecard-from-the-corner-of-his-dugout/) [Ernie Harwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-harwell/) > [God has given this way of life to Israel: to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poemen/god-has-given-this-way-of-life-to-israel-to-abstain-from-everything/) [Poemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poemen/) [Browse all 2,184 Old man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This passenger was wondering why he had stolen a big grey suitcase on four wheels. Was it because he could and because the owner was a lout, or because the suitcase might contain a pair of shoes and even a hat? Or was it because the old man didn’t have anything to lose? Allan really couldn’t say why he did it. 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