I have a bad knee (left) and a bad hip (left). On the morning buses, there are handicapped/senior seats that face sideways and have plenty of leg room for me to stretch my leg. If I sit in the regular seats where I cannot straighten my leg, I’m usually in a bit of pain by the time I get to work.
My late buses home, which I take in even months or when I work longer hours, have these too. As I get on at the very first stop, this is never an issue.
However, my early bus home, which I take in odd months, doesn’t have these. There is one row (the 5th row) that has a bit of extra leg room on the left side seats, otherwise I’m screwed. There are only 3-5 of us that get on at this stop, but unless I’m the first or second person on, the first person tends to take the first seat, then the next person runs straight back to the extra leg room row. Not wishing to sit right next to them on an otherwise empty bus or make a fuss about it, If my leg is not doing well then I then sit in an aisle seat on the right side, where I can straighten my leg out into the aisle periodically.
Most weeks I’m fine, this week has been bad.
So yesterday, we get to the last stop, I’m getting evil looks by a few of the people who have walked past me (thinking I’m intentionally blocking the window seat but not asking to use it) until someone finally DOES ask, at which point I cheerfully got up and let her in that seat.
Today we drive past all those just fine (except for the evil looks) and stop at a freeway stop where we pick someone up like once a month. This girl gets on and walks right past me. As we pull out and onto the freeway, I’ve got several women jabbing me forcefully in the back and demanding that I move over. So I stand up on the still accellerating bus and let her have the seat. As yesterday, I apologize and explain that I need the aisle seat because of my bad leg. She’s fine with it, but I hear the women behind me muttering and badmouthing me for half of the rest of the drive.
Whatever happened to “May I sit there?” or “Excuse me, is that seat taken?”
I have a legitimate physical issue that makes it painful for me to sit with no room to straighten my leg, and I happen to get on the bus at the first stop. I can’t help it that two other people keep racing me for the one row that can accomodate me in either of it’s two seats, and however I may come across on this board, I’m not the type of person to berate them for doing so when I can easily sit somewhere else.
So seriously bitches, shut the fuck up with the behind my back sniping or put on your big girl panties and straight out ask me why I sit like that. I’ll be happy to tell you.