I Can Do That Too!

I get so annoyed with people on the bus who aren't considerate of others. I just can't stand people who are inconsiderate in the first place. The most annoying thing a person can do on the bus, is take up seating space with their personal items. I mean, lets be real here, there are 30 seats, and 50 people on the bus, where in the first nations does a person get the notion that they are somehow better than the rest of the population of riders, in that they deserve to have two seats instead of one?!

In my limited experience, the demographics of people who ride the bus consists of working people, struggling people, and homeless people. For the lady who has been cleaning people's houses all day, or waiting tables, or the professor who's been teaching classes all day, a seat is a very valuable thing. To have to stand for possibly hours more after working and standing all day is the last thing a person wants to do. Yet, some people find it more important to use the only seat left on the bus, to rest an inanimate object such as a backpack, or a box of donuts! How could someone do this?!?!?!?! This is absolutely incomprehensible!!!! I can't fathom how a person could lack such decency and disrespect the feelings of others! It's abominable!

Well...

Yesterday, I had a bad day. Bad day. I was that tired person. I was angry. I thought that my back was going to break from the weight of my huge backpack which was filled to the brim with stuff and by the time I caught my second bus, I was ready to scream and I still had a train ride and another bus ride to go. I was gonna lose it. I got into this bus, which looked inside like an airplane, and I sat myself next to the window. In my brain I just dreaded having to squeeze myself next to someone else, and then a miracle happened-- no one came and sat next to me. I was shocked. I thought of all of the times I had ridden this bus and had to ask people to move their bags and papers and junk so I could sit down. Every time this had happened, I got nasty glares from the people as if they has some kind of right over me, and were disgusted that they had to even grant such a request. Now, for the first time, I had a 2 seat space all to myself! What could I do?

The thought crossed my mind, "I wonder what it's like to be them? To be the rude person." People would inevitably be coming onto the bus after me, but I didn't care. I was tired. I apprehensively placed my very large backpack on the seat next to me. Obviously I was going to move it if someone asked to sit down, but only if they asked. Inside, I felt a little excited. Like somehow my act of rudeness towards other people, was going to balance the Universe. I felt a little mischievous and it made me smile inside as I closed my eyes to go to sleep.

The next thing I knew, I woke up at the train station and my backpack was nestled safely next to me still. I grabbed my bag and jumped off the bus, and couldn't help but smile to myself. In reality, it didn't make any difference, and the bus seemed to be rather empty yesterday. There were actually lots of empty seats on the bus, and I bet no one even tried to sit next to me. So I guess in a lot of ways, my little experiment was not quite the same thing, but it was a good attempt on my end. Inevitably I realized, I could do that too, I could be that same rude person that I hate so much.

I would have never thought... hm... I better check myself.