Unable to find lunch near the depot, and having three hours to spend until our train northward departs, Rufus and I board the free shuttle offered by San Jose to whisk unsuspecting outsiders to the heart of this soul-dead city.

Standing in the middle of downtown San Jose, the nondescript corporate buildings rise around you on all sides.  It's a weekend, so I anticipate fewer people than during the week - but there are none at all!  The sidewalks are empty and the streets are silent.  Every few minutes, an unseen stoplight turns green, releasing a bubble of sports utility vehicles and Mercedes, who rush past and disappear around the corner. 

We do finally find people - huddled inside a 50's-themed burger joint.  The teenage waiter studies us from a distance before approaching, and then spends only enough time to take our order and flee.