Public Transit tales ...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Having ridden public transit for many years (too many to count here!), I thought that I’d seen just about everything, but yesterday was in for a -rude- awakening.

I had sent my daughter out to run some errands for me yesterday afternoon, and she rod the bus to my job, where I joined her on the bus, heading home. Everything was going smoothly until the bus picked up a woman at one stop. The passenger did not have her fare ready, so took a seat up near the front, which was just across the aisle from my daughter and I. Now I was chatting with a co-worker, but my daughter caught what happened next. While the passenger was fumbling for her bus fare, for some unknown reason, she began to feel up the woman sitting next to her! My daughter couldn’t believe what she was seeing and tried to draw my attention to it, but I was too busy chatting with my co-worker. My daughter said that the hand roaming continued after the passenger paid her fare; the victim just sat that, probably just too shocked to say or do anything, but my daughter said she could tell that the lady was angry, her face got all red. My daughter told me later that the abuser even put her hand -on the crotch- of the victim… I didn’t want to hear anything more after that! I still can’t believe it happened, but I think it probably happens more often than we’d like to think, especially on crowded subways.

We soon got off the bus, but the abuser passenger got off at th same stop we did. Now, only my daughter knew what had gone on, I didn’t, so I wasn’t really paying any attention to her. We were going to go directly home (we had to transfer to another bus to get there), but decided instead to go to our favorite used bookstore. Unfortunately, when that bus arrived, it was already crowded, with several people standing in the aisle. We got on anyway, with the abusive passenger getting on ahead of us. She (the abusive passenger) planted herself just inside the door, then as my daughter got on, she squeezed up against my daughter, at which time my daughter snapped at her. :eek: I didn’t know what had happened, and thought my daughter was snapping at some other passengers, because there were some adult women who felt that they had to voice rude comments about my weight! I didn’t say anything, but glared at them–honestly, I really don’t understand -why- someone would say something so very rude like that, even if they did think it, it’s just beyond rude to say something like that to someone. When we got to our destination, naturally I had to squeeze past them to get to the door, when they made another comment. I came -very- close to smacking one of them with my bag, but didn’t; I just glared at them in disbelief again.

Then, when we got off, my daughter shared what she had observed with me. She also had seen and heard the two adult women who had been making rude (and nasty) comments about my weight. I don’t drive, so must use public transit all the time, but now have vowed to stay away from the really crowded buses whenever I can. I still cannot believe this happened yesterday.

2

I can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone sexually assault another passenger on the Metro here in DC (but it’s a big train, it probably happens, unfortunately) - however, otherwise normal, well-adjusted people are just downright MEAN when it comes to getting on those trains during rush hour.

It seems like EVERYBODY just HAS TO get on that train first. I admit, I usually try to position myself on the platform before the train comes so that I’ll be close to a door when the train stops, but I won’t push people out of the way to do it. But I draw the line at assaulting people to get to the door/seat first. It’s really pretty unnerving. I’ve had old ladies come up from my blind spot and practically beat me with their handbag so that they could get on the train first. It’s not like I wouldn’t have moved aside if I had seen them. But the younger, more verile people are the ones you have to watch out for, they can really hurt you if you’re in front of them.

But if you catch the train before/after rush hour when not as many people are trying to get on, everyone seems nice and polite (for the most part).

3

I was standing on a crowded public bus when some pervert grabbed my butt. I grabbed the offending hand and said very loudly “What the fuck are you doing feeling my ass.” The bus driver stopped the bus and told the pervert to get off. All the passengers cheered.

I do not take that shit from anyone.

4

Okay Moderators, I’m sorry. I thought I was in the Pit (hangs head in shame). Please edit.

5

I’ve never witnessed a molestation on the “T”, but this is one of my pet peeves, and I see it almost every day. Mostly perpetrated by boneheads who have been standing at the bus stop for ten minutes staring off into space, when they could have been, should have been, getting their money out. And, they’re always in the front lines of the battle to be first to board the bus!

6

I take the opposite approach. I would much rather be the LAST one to board, at rush hour. I’m not going to get a seat, anyway, because I refuse to squish myself into a seat next to someone. Our subways and buses were apparently designed to accomodate 11 year old girls. I’m 6’2", and 250 lbs. I don’t take up two seats, but I DO overhang the tiny little seats a bit on both sides, even if it’s only my arms and shoulders. This makes in uncomfortable for me, as well as the people on either side. Especially if they happen to be normal American-sized males. And, forget about one of the seats that faces forward, in a bus. If you’re over six feet, there isn’t room for your knees. I’d rather stand, which works out well, because there usually isn’t much choice in the matter.

7

I’ve been mugged on a bus. I’ve seen drunks throwing up on every form of public transport. I’ve seen tube carriages cleared by people with interesting takes on mental health (why, yes, I’d love to watch you scream abuse at your shadow while boxing with it!). I’ve watched too many violent punch-ups to mention. Not much suprises me on public transport any more.

8

As I recently told my husband, I don’t take public transit for environmental or convenience reasons. Nope, I do it for the colorful personalities.

Recent winners have included:

  1. Strange unclean woman who observed me flipping through a catalog of American Indian artifacts and proceded to tell me about the hospital where she used to work that was built on an Indian grave and all the spooky things that happened there.

  2. Gentleman who observed me working on my laptop and began a benign conversation about computers and technology that became a conversation about recent anti-war protests that resulted in him disclosing his traumatic stress disorder from his time in Vietnam and sharing his suicidal and homicidal thoughts.

Um. Stop. This. Train. Please.

9

Yes, I was thinking of you when I clicked on this thread.

10

On the train about a month ago, an older woman (mid-50’s) got on and proceeded to rant loudly to no-one in particular about how she was on her way to Northwestern University to “put a cap in their asses” for not accepting her into some program or whatnot. She went on loudly about how they discriminated against her because shes on medication, and the medication she was on was “prescription”. After repeatedly stating that the “disability people” are going to burn down N.U. on her behalf, a young woman got on and brushed against her trying to enter the train. Little Miss Medication proceeded to rip her hat off and beat her with it, while she screamed-“Don’t mess with me! I’m disabled!”

Half the people in the car moved to the other end, while a few summoned security via the buzzer thingy in each car. When a security guy arrived, she was taken away while proclaiming that “Jesus will strike you down!”

Now everytime I see an older woman in a flowered hat on the train, I get a twinge of fear, wondering if its her again.

11

Let’s see…

My friends have told me about the guy inhaling gas on the train who proceeded to hide the bag of it in his pants…

I’ve seen naked people sleeping in the corridor down to the train station (that was earlier this year before the city opened a couple of the stations for the homeless to sleep in when it was so cold out.) Oh and they were drunk, blankets spread beneath them. Beer cans scattered around…

I’ve seen people being sick on the trains…

I’ve had people come and tell me the earth is going to be hit by an asteroid and if I don’t believe in Jesus I’m going to die… (same guy)

I’ve even been the strange person on the bus. The other day I was semi-bundled up because I was cold (it wasn’t that cold though) and just huddled in a seat all curled up and looking weird. Not saying anything but staring at people. Not because I wanted to (it’s not my habit) but because I was keeping myself together.

12

Public transit… whee!

On the train, a fellow sat opposite my friend and I on a fairly empty train. “You know what Oi’m goin’ ta do tonoit, byes? Oi’m gonna have a bowl’a roice, an’ Oi’m gonna pour me tea aaaall over it!”

On the late bus out of town, a fellow threw up all over the spot my legs had been a half second before. He pulled the bell, then stood in the stairwell intermittently spewing what smelled like chunks of watermelon steeped in vodka all over the steps until the bus stopped.

At a train station in Japan I walked past a homeless person satisfying himself on a bench. A most unfortunate situation for both of us, but I at least could walk away from it.

My stop on the aforementioned commuter bus was a ways after the bus station. I’d stand up for an hour, then everyone would get off and I’d happily sit down and sleep through my stop. On one occasion, after everyone else exited the bus, the driver let me drive it a ways. Those things are big!

13

I’ve seen a few unpleasant situations on transit, but people around here are mostly OK. (Even though some of them don’t quite grasp the idea of letting others off before trying to get on.)

My favourite transit story: The bus drivers were out on strike, but Skytrain was running. I noticed when I got on that there were Mom and Dad, obvious visitors, sitting close together ahead of me and getting a travelogue from their daughter. When we reached the next stop, a huge and terrifying transit cop got on, plucked out one of the roses he had in his shirt pocket, and handed it to Mom, saying “That’s for you for holding hands on the Skytrain.” Even though she was embarassed, I think it made her day.

14

A very large (perhaps twice my size) man sat on my lap, once.

The bus was mostly empty.

He was allowed about two seconds of stunned, squashed silence from me before getting the backhand of his life and a flurry of language unfit for MPSIMS.

15

Hey! That reminds me.

You know the old cartoon gag where the big guy sits in between two little guys and they get spit out to the sides like watermelon seeds?

It happened to two snoozing commuters opposite me. Pretty durn funny, I say.