Monday, March 05, 2007

X Bus Strikes again!!!

I had a bad ride on the X bus today. It wasn't necessarily bad, because I was harassed or anything. I was more annoyed than anything else.

First of all, I knew it was subject to be a difficult ride, when a regular sized bus showed up. The X-Bus is a long bus route that usually uses the extended buses (it looks like two buses joined together), which are necessary in order to accomodate the large number of people who ride this bus at any given hour. Why they would ever use a regular size bus is baffling. You could ride the X bus at 1:30 in the morning and there would still be 45 people on the bus. Trust me--- if been on there during that time.

Anyway, I'm sitting toward the front of the bus; mind you, but not in the elderly seats. I got on the bus at the very beginning of the line. By the time, the bus arrived at the fourth stop , there were only a few seats left, and the bus hadn't even reach the first of it's three most congested stops: Chinatown, Union Station, and 8th and H Streets. Those are the busiest bus stops on this route. So busy in fact that, one bus could pick up 20 passengers, drive away, and if another one shows up immediately after, there will still be 20 more people ready to get on.

Anyhow, the bus had passed Chinatown. There were no longer any seats left and there were people standing up in the aisle of the bus. I've got my seat, and I'm sitting next to the window, reading a magazine. Then I hear a man saying, "you need to sit down...?" Then I hear a woman yelling loudly, "That's alright! That's alright! Let 'em stay blind. Let 'em stay blind!" As the crowd stepped to the side to try to let her through. She's still yelling the same phrase, "Let 'em stay blind!" Apparently she was implying that someone should have given her a seat , since she was carrying a baby and a stroller.

Here's where I get upset:

Yeah, quite a few people could've been nice and allowed her to have a seat, BUT----it is not a requirement, and they were old and didn't know anyway(they couldn't see her). Metro buses all have signs in them that say that it is a federal law requiring that elderly and disbabled people be given the front seats----the rest is up to society's manners, morals, and ethics.

Most of the people sitting in the front were old, and didn't even know who was talking ( they couldn't see her--it was too crowded) judging from their shocked and puzzle looks when she emerged from the crowd. She didn't give anyone a chance to acknowledge her existence and offer her a seat. Instead, she was rude, loud, and obnoxious---at which point some of the people sneered their faces in offense. Then the woman next to me got up and said, you can sit here. She comes busting through the crowd swinging her stroller wildly, hitting people in the legs, etc... When she got near the woman who offered her the seat, she said harshly, "Excuse me," like she had an attitude and the woman was in the way. Well she couldn't move any further out of the way, due to the fact that the bus was crowded, but she tried. This woman with the baby just blew her breath and swung the stroller around and sat down next to me---with not one, but two pointy bags pushing into me very hard at which point I turned to look at her like she was crazy---but I said nothing. I just stared at her, like she was a mad woman. I started to say, "Just 'cause you're mad, that doesn't mean you have the right to squish and jab me up....," but I didn't feel like arguing with a self important asshole. I turned my head and met the gaze of another woman who, sneered up her face at how the baby woman was acting, and she said: "Who owes you something? You act like somebody owes you something, 'cause you had a child." The baby woman just mumbled under her breath, something about swearing to God. I just turned my head away back to the window and tried to keep my composure.


Now here's my point:

How bad am I supposed to feel, because some woman has a child, a stroller, and a baby bag and a purse.

Truth of the matter---this woman was not struggling, had had her baby in one arm, her bags on her other shoulder and the stroller in her other hand. She was handling her load quite well.

But, are people supposed to bow down to single mothers, riding public transportation? If I see you struggling, I don't mind giving you a helping hand.

But should they be demanding it, and with an attitude no less. I've seen elderly people, get on and not be offered a seat---and there's actually rules for that. Yet, these elderly people aren't ranting and raving about it and throwing there shit all over people because they are mad.

I hate the X bus!!!!!!!

Friday, March 02, 2007

Think for yo' damn self

If it's human nature, to always worry or wonder about about other people, am I not human?

This morning I was going down one floor to the fitness center in the building where I work, my same routine everyday. I come in, say goodmorning or hey to the security guard, I press the button for the elevator and wait to see the bottom red light glow to signify that the elevator is going down. Then I go about my business.

Correct me, if I'm wrong, but...
Elevators normally go up and down, and that's it, right????
This isn't the Wonkavator in Willy Wonka's chocoate factory.
That's what I thought.
Two days in a row, people have jumped on the elevator, before the doors close, and then after the fact, say "Oh- it's going down." I have said nothing both times. I know where I'm going. I don't know where they are going. Moreover, I don't care where they are going.

So, on day one (yesterday) the UPS guy got on, sees the button at the bottom pressed (maybe he thought it was the number 2), and presses the very top button, then he leans on the wall. The elevator starts moving, then he realizes , "Oh, it's going down." He scrambles to press buttons-- as if he's going to make the elevator change it's mine or let him off in mid-descent.
For the record: The elevator only goes to 1 lower level in the building----it has to go up after that!
UPS man , then muses, "I gues it's going up now." as I am walking off of the elevator. I give him the 'no teeth' smile and the head knod.

Then I go about my business. The elevator doors close, then he's off to where ever he's going.
He didn't bother looking to see which way the elevator was going. His bad!!! ...'Cause I am not responsible for him. But, in this case, what goes down, must come up----so no big deal aye!!!
That's what I think.
So.....

On day 2 (today) I followed my same routine. I know where I'm going and that's what counts, plus I've got 2 minutes before I'm officially late (they [the man] can tell what time you walked through the door). Some smug dork gets on. I don't know if he pressed a button for his floor or not---WHO CARES! I'm thinking hopefully the system's clock is the same as my watch---I hate being late. The elevator starts moving, and of course he's like, "Oh, it's going down." Then, the doors open and I leave out. This bastard, yells, "Well it was nice of you to tell me." I say, "It's not my job to know where you're going, you should have looked at the light---what am I a fucking bellhop!" Then I go about my business. The doors close and dorkface is probably pissed for the morning, that he had to go down one floor, before he went up.
I, on the other hand couldn't care less. It's not my job to worry and ponder about other people's actions/ Sure if I see you about to step of a curb and a Mack truck is coming, I'll say watch out. But, if I see you running for the subway train, I'm going to assume that you know you want to catch that particular train. They're labeled on the outside.
I'm not going to be yelling, "Heeeey, do you know that you're running to catch the yellow line?" or "Where are you going---that's the yellow line!!! "
I'm sorry, that's just not my concern or my responsiblity.
So, why do people act as if people should assume responsibility for their actions.

That's why people make signs like:
BEWARE OF THE DOG, WET PAINT,OPEN, AND CLOSED

So that people don't have to stand there all day and yell:
"Don't come in here or a dog will attack you. Seriously, a big ferocious dog will bite your ass!!!
or
"Don't touch that, we just painted and it's still wet. Seriously, paint will get on you!!!"
or
"Heeey, were open ---that means you can come in and conduct business now!!!"
or
We're closed. We can't do any business and the door is locked, so stop pulling it and looking puzzled, then putting your hands up to the glass and peering inside, stupid!!!"

So.....
Does the fact that I often am not worried about what someone else is doing or wondering about what they intend to do make me un-human? If so, I guess I'll have to be an alien then---because I have far to many things to think about to think for everyone else. If I notice, fine. But if not---
IT AIN'T MY FAULT!!!!!


E. Dizzle Forizzle!!!

Ms. Kane if your'e nasty!

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Mushroom head sat on my coat, then cursed me out!!!

What a ride.

I just got cursed out by a mushroom-haired woman (let's call her Shroomy) with crocodile teeth. She sat her big ass down on half of my coat, while I wasn't looking. There were gloves in the pocket, balled up. It was like a big knot, how could you not notice this underneath you? I pulled the coat up, from under her, and continued to look out the window. She looked at me, and said , "Let me let you sit by yourself." Then she saw a friend, who was saying , "I didn't know that was you getting on this bus....blah, blah." At which point, Shroomy starts explaining how she was up front, but she had to get up, because she [I] had such a nasty attitude, and acted like nobody could sit next to her [me].....(on, and on, and on.....) " So, I just turned around and looked at her like I was one of those mental patients, about to freak out---but I said nothing. I was really wondering how this chick was angry. It was really a baffling incident. She just went on and on, "yeah, you-- you have a nasty, nasty, attitude.....blah, blah, blah. Meanwhile---I've said nothing, and everybody around me knows that I've said nothing and from what they have seen, have done nothing. There looking at me like, "What?"
So this bitch, just looks crazy. A couple of people gave me the, 'Oh well,' look and went back to looking out their respective windows or reading their papers. Others were just looking confused, just as I was. I went back to looking out of the window. I didn't have the strength (I'm kind of tired---I had a late night) or patience to argue with Shroomy, who looked like she had a rough life and may have recently been on an alcoholic binge. She eventually stopped talking about it, and started having a new conversation with her friend.

Who cares? I could've tore into her, but why waste the energy.


She sat on my shit---shouldn't I have been the one who was mad.

I hate riding the X BUS :(
Why do nuts have to sit near me? The bus wasn't even crowded---there was plenty of space.

Skinny People At Night

When you see really skinny suspicious-looking people late at night, especially if the street is deserted, you always assume that they might be a crackhead. Well, I do. But the thing is, what if they are just waiting for the bus, or waiting for someone to pick them up, on the way home from the club or what ever else. And here I am accusing them of being a crackhead, just because they happen to be skinny and out late at night. They might be on a diet or it could be hereditary and they get off work late. Who knows? Oh well, I guess skinny people have to try to look as normal as possible if they are going to be hanging out late at night, 'cause if it walks like a crackhead and talks like a crackhead, well then....you know the rest.