assumptions
i'd had a long day at work, and the bus was packed. at each stop more people squeezed into the aisle, everyone sweaty and cranky and uncomfortable, trying to ignore the smell of armpit, the lack of breathing room, elbows in sides, crotches in faces. i sat slightly hunched, trying to keep hold of five bulging grocery sacks i'd packed beneath my seat, trying to guess who was pissed off at life right now and who was secretly ashamed to be taking up space. the driver kept telling everyone to move back, and some people were squeezed in so far that they couldn't make it to the exit for their stop.
a woman with a baby got on, and the driver said he wasn't moving until someone gave her a place to sit. i wasn't close enough and anyway, there was some biker guy's ass in my face. the bus idled for a few moments, and then a piggish woman in her thirties stood up angrily from her seat in the honored citizens' section. "fine!" she barked. "it's a shame some of the younger people on the bus couldn't move their ass! i got a bad back!" she tramped toward the back of the bus. "some fine gentlemen we got here on this bus!" she ranted on as the bus groaned forward, something about "stupid and rude". the drunk girl behind me, who was also very loud, struck up a very public conversation with her.
"why wouldn't someone else get up?" the drunk girl said.
"because they're stupid and rude!"
unintellgible chatter
"oh, i wasn't talking about you, honey," the piggish lady said, "i mostly meant that little bitch up front." she was referring to a younger, quiet girl who could certainly hear every word. i shook my head.
"yeah, why doesn't she get up?" the drunk girl shouted.
"maybe she just doesn't give a shit!"
"hey, there are some senior citizens on this bus!" and she launched into a passionate monologue about respecting our honored citizens. the yelling picked up in intensity, with many expletives thrown in about the inconsiderate young woman in the front, until they were shouting at her, "hey, ma'am?" the girl looked over, face expressionless. "yeah, you, ma'am! would you mind getting up so that man can sit down?" "yeah, why don't you let that elderly gentleman sit down?"
the girl lifted herself slowly from her seat, holding the underside of her belly with one hand. she was clearly pregnant.
a woman with a baby got on, and the driver said he wasn't moving until someone gave her a place to sit. i wasn't close enough and anyway, there was some biker guy's ass in my face. the bus idled for a few moments, and then a piggish woman in her thirties stood up angrily from her seat in the honored citizens' section. "fine!" she barked. "it's a shame some of the younger people on the bus couldn't move their ass! i got a bad back!" she tramped toward the back of the bus. "some fine gentlemen we got here on this bus!" she ranted on as the bus groaned forward, something about "stupid and rude". the drunk girl behind me, who was also very loud, struck up a very public conversation with her.
"why wouldn't someone else get up?" the drunk girl said.
"because they're stupid and rude!"
unintellgible chatter
"oh, i wasn't talking about you, honey," the piggish lady said, "i mostly meant that little bitch up front." she was referring to a younger, quiet girl who could certainly hear every word. i shook my head.
"yeah, why doesn't she get up?" the drunk girl shouted.
"maybe she just doesn't give a shit!"
"hey, there are some senior citizens on this bus!" and she launched into a passionate monologue about respecting our honored citizens. the yelling picked up in intensity, with many expletives thrown in about the inconsiderate young woman in the front, until they were shouting at her, "hey, ma'am?" the girl looked over, face expressionless. "yeah, you, ma'am! would you mind getting up so that man can sit down?" "yeah, why don't you let that elderly gentleman sit down?"
the girl lifted herself slowly from her seat, holding the underside of her belly with one hand. she was clearly pregnant.