a page from the bus diaries
i take the bus. i occasionally ride the metro, but i tend to find it a bit dark, depressing and anti-social. and crowded. and stressful. the bus is above ground, has windows (that look out into the world…not into a dark tunnel, and just seems less terroristy. i’m not even going to explain what that means. my head comes up with these things and when my mouth tries to defend them i end up sounding like a butt face.
the metro is also a commitment. you have to pay before you even get on. before you have any idea if there are delays or how many freaking people are in fact waiting below you on the platform (waiting to push you on the track). with the bus, above ground, you wait on a corner, with fresh air and plenty of room to walk away without investing a dime. the whole experience is just way more pleasant. and way less…terroristy.
so, the bus. not the metro.
today i was happily taking in the fresh air at my bus stop, reading my book and waiting for the 43 to turn the corner and pick me up. i took my spot in line, boarded, paid and began the decision process of how i would handle the rest of the journey. by the time the bus gets to me, all the benches have at least on person in them. so, the decision becomes, who should i sit next to? who will stay on their side of the bench, keeping elbows and bags out of MY side? who will keep their nose burried in their own book/ipod/phone and leave me alone? (see, i like the social aspect of the bus, so long as nobody is being social with me.) who won’t stink? who won’t try to get up while the bus is barreling down conn, making me get up and push around the standers? who will be the best bench buddy?
its the first big decision of my day.
9 times out of 10, i make a great decision. today was no exception.
see, the bus ride took an unusually long time this morning. i am sure i was being my normal respectful self for the first half, but eventually i let the tunes take me over. i was reading staring blankly at my book and…humming! loudly. so loudly, in fact, that i got the ole shoulder tap followed by a curt request to PLEASE STOP HUMMING from the person in front of me who had done the ‘movie theater look-back’ 8 or 10 times before bravely shoulder tapping me. i saw the look-backs…but as i avoided eye-contact, i thought surely they were intended for someone else.
then it occurred to me: today i was the shitty bench buddy.
