I’ve been riding on the same bus for over a year now. For the first couple of months, I didn’t mind but now, I’m starting to despise that bus route.
Between the old people that smell like a pharmaceutical factory, bus drivers who think the bus should be 80 degrees Celsius, people who open the windows to get the temperature down to -14 degrees Celsius, and last but not least the general low-class yahoos that get on, I’m having a hard time dealing with the commute.
As an example, let me explain what happened last week. I get on the damned bus and take a seat. I close my eyes, partially to rest and partially so that I don’t have to look at the freak show that are the occupants of this travelling side show.
Two seats away from me, I hear a young man talking on his cell phone.
“Um, hello? Listen, I’m still trying to get a hold of my lawyer but I’m coming in for sentencing today and I just wanted to let you know I’m gonna be late.”
Wonderful. I can do nothing more than continue to listen.
“Yeah, I’m at the top of the list for this morning. I was wondering if you could sentence those other people and move me to the bottom of the list.”
Nice. I think back to the summer of 2005 when I rode the bus from UBC to work every morning. Not only was the bus not crowded, most of the riders were young people, mostly female… and law abiding. Now, I have this, somewhat akin to once living at the Temple on Coruscant but forced to move to a dishevled hut in some arid desert.
Granted, the young man was not bothersome in any way while on the bus. I even listened intently as he spoke with his friend during the trip. Yep, he even admitted it was kinda stupid to be carrying that weapon when he got arrested.
I wonder if they rent bus buddies. People who accompany you on the bus so that you have at least one person you don’t dislike onboard, like a single-serving friend. Man, I am on fire with the movie references tonight!