Bus Report #865

Last night when I got on the 38L, it was already packed and we weren't even out of downtown.

There was one empty seat but a woman had her duffel bag on it. But I was tired and I wanted that seat.

I asked her, politely, if I could please sit down - expecting her to move her bag and make room.

She looked up at me and said, "No."

I'd had a long day. I asked again, "Can you please move your bag so I can sit down?"

At this point, other people were looking at us both. I had become that person, I guess. The annoying person on the bus who antagonizes the crazies.

This time, the woman went off. "Why you being so pushy? Can't you wait til I get out? What's your fucking problem, you bitch? You want my seat, well too bad." She kept going on and on. I didn't want to give up, but I didn't want to get attacked, either. I sighed, loudly, and moved out of the way to hold on to the pole a few seats back. The woman was still going.

"Where do you work at? What's your job, huh?" she yelled. Insinuating, I suppose, that I was some newbie overly entitled overpaid recent transplant who is used to getting my way. I really wanted to tell her how long I've lived here, and how much I'm not getting paid, but I didn't say a word.

The girl standing beside me whispered, "Ignore her, she's nuts."

The woman stood up and pulled the signaler to get out at the very next stop. Still grumbling as she got out the bus. She shot me a look and I told her to go to hell, and then I went to sit down in her just-vacated seat.

I know, I know, I shouldn't bait the crazies, but really. All she needed to do was say, "Actually I'm about to get out, hold on a sec," and that would have been that.