Hey Lil Troublemaker.

Photo credit: looseends via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Freezing as usual. I've gone through today's edition of "school sucks, especially in the Winter". I have a midterm anyway, so there's no way around school today. No point whining.

There's a 3-minute bus for the 7minute walk I have to make to my next class.  When the roads are icy and slippery (like today) and man's greatest fear is becoming 'Humpty-Dumty the second', that walk becomes more10-ish minutes. So, of course I'll take the bus!

*Whew!*. I made the bus.  To calm my raging nerves - because I'm pretty tensed about my Stats midterm - I read the cover page of Metro newspaper. The story I first see is something about wheelchairs not getting priority over strollers. Lol? Who wouldn't know that? On second thought, it wouldn't be on the front page of the paper if something hadn't happened. Apparently, some bus driver had told someone with a toddler to get off the bus because a wheelchair had to get on.  So I 'm thinking
"err, isn't the whole 'courtesy seating' thing meant to promote equality? I stand and pull up my sit, because I can stand and you can't and we all need to be on the bus..blah blah" These annoying bus drivers and the power they misuse! 

Oh and in that minute, I look up and see that a man in a wheel chair is at the bus top trying to get on. Well there isn't any space. The two stroller spots have been occupied and the bus is sardine-packed.

Okay Mr. bus driver, drop the "Sorry sir, you're gonna have to wait for the next bus" line already and please let's get going, I think to myself. 

But nope, like a cruel little joke he nods his half-bald head in the direction of the woman with a stroller on the right side of the bus and goes, "Sorry  ma'am, you've gotta get off and wait for the next bus; this gentleman here needs the spot". 

Before the thoughts were done developing into words, like an ill-mannered child,  I blurted out "How in shoes' name does that make sense?"

I was in the middle of the stroller spot and the driver's seat. I had chosen to stand since I was going to be stuck sitting in a test room for the next hour and a half. Now I wasn't so sure why I hadn't just chosen a back seat.

"Sorry ma'am what did you say" said the bus driver.

"Err, I was just wondering if you'd taken a look at the Metro newspapers at your side.  It does clearly remind us all, that wheelchairs don't get priority over strollers! Even though I feel like it shouldn't be news.  It's common sense right? First come, first serve. Period." 

At this point, I don't even know what I sound like.  Why's everyone staring at me?

"Well, if you've got that much of a problem with MY decision, on MY bus, you, my dear little Olivia Pope, the fixer, might as well join the stroller on its way out!" And in a nauseatingly sarcastic way he adds "period", imitating my earlier retort. 

My blood was definitely boiling at this point. "That's the first issue I've got with you guys, yes you bus drivers! Ever taking role playing too far! Because you've been assigned to move a bus with people from point A to B, you somehow think the bus is yours huh? People run 200m to catch the bus, fall on ice and stand up instantly to catch the bus and you just look through your side mirror, step on the gas pedal and zooom off! Because you're the boss of the bus eh?  And now, because you can, you want to throw this little baby, her mom, and I out to the wolves of the -30°C weather! 'Because you can eh?' Well, here's a little something for you Mister! Because I can, I'll be on this bus for quite a while! Maybe  even follow you to the last stop. Why? Because I can". My lips curl into this charming little smile, just to add an extra prick to whatever my words had hit.

I turn around a bit and people have their phones out. I'm not sure if they are dialling 9-1-1, or trying to get this 'show' to Youtube in time.

Bus driver is out of his seat now, comes in my face, like he's ready to steal some of my hair to fill up his empty patch. "Now here's what I've got for your thick little skull to absorb, that's if your mop-like hair will let it diffuse through. You'll get your lil black ass off my bus now or you are not going to like the rest of this act you've got going!" 

Yay! my turn again. Let's shove some more words down this man's throat. "A few things here 'sir'. First of all, there ain't nothing 'lil' about that ass! No, you don't get to verify that.  Oh and it's 2013, you don't get to kick my ass off because it's black ..."

"Do we have a problem here?" I heard an extraneous voice say. Wait, are those police cars parked in front of us? OMG! the cops are here! End of my life. Lord, Lord why didn't you stop me from all these ramblings before I got here. I'm definitely screwed now. Totally screwed. 

"Child, it's not real." Whispered a still little voice. 

Wait what?

Next sound I hear is the bus navigation system, screeching "Laurier-Station/ Station Laurier". 

Oh! Oh,  so...You mean... Like it really didn't happen?!

 *sigh!*

Back to boring old reality :(. That's my stop and it's time face my statistics midterm.

Yet another fun day in Fopsy's imagination :). 

Happy Black History Month!

4pcee