What I think about on the train after I've finished a book and have nothing else to read

Everyday on the train, the conductor passes by, glances at my ticket, and punches two holes in a strip of paper that he places on the seat in front of me. Proof that he has seen my ticket. I always assumed the punches were random as there seemed to be no rhyme or reason for the placement of the holes. But, I've been observing. I finished my book today and having nothing else to read, I began paying attention to the conductor's activities. It now seems to me that the conductor can tell passenger origin and destination from these seemingly random holes. I wonder, what else can he tell? Gender? Age? Frequency of rider? I'm intrigued. How can two little holes, and sometimes a tear mean so much? Does the length of the tear signify distance? Does one hole mean something different than two? So many things to ponder. If someone reading this knows train ticket language, please, enlighten me.