Riding the busses, another special edition...

So, hokay, I got on the number 40 which takes me to Jacki. Lots of Turks and Islamists on it for the first three stops, and Africans too, increasingly, who seemingly like to propogate often like the poor Lippizan horses, only the latter get forced to do that....

There was a poor woman in front of me who obviously had Parkinsons, which made me think of Rush Limpballs, and Michael J. Fox, and that was not a good place to be in my head, you know? So I was happy to reach my transfer stop, just before Jacki. And relieved. I didn't want bad thoughts in my head....

So along comes the 34, and was trying to think of what to make for Peter for his hot lunch of the day... Where I get off, there is a supermarket, you see. And one stop down, this tiny elderly lady gets on with her cute dog. A well-behaved cute one, probably part Labrador, black, and slavishly attached to her. And she made him sit, and slipped a muzzle on him--or her...don't know the gender...

And this idjit in the seat in front of her with his two children begins berating her for not having put it on it before she got on the bus. She was obviously hurt by his tone, and behaviour, but calmly said, 'My dog doesn't bite. I need it so he doesn't eat trash off the floor of the bus.'

Well, the whole thing escalated till the man got off with his kids at 'The Museum of Perception' stop. Now that is what I call ironic....

The poor thing was so agitated, as well as the woman across the aisle, they went ON about the incident, and then it was nearly time for me to get off.

So I pressed the button for the next stop, and said to 'no one in particular', 'Sometimes I think it is people who need muzzles so as not to blather on about nothing that is important. Your dog seems very gentle.'

She looked at me gratefully. And said, 'You know, I am eighty years old, and I don't understand how older people can be so hateful and biting.'

And I said, 'Well, I just got retired, so am not there yet. Except I 'never have time', which made her laugh. And added, 'After all, it is the 'dog days' of August.' Which made her laugh out loud. And then it was my stop, so I said, 'Just don't take it to heart, you hear?'

And she smiled....

I think you know what I am inferring here....

Yes, am talking about the below-the-belt level of discourse going on in the US.

Ok.

So... Peter's neighborhood is almost white and very poor. But one thing has struck me. You walk down the street? People greet you. Say 'good morning', or 'good afternoon', or whatever. The first time I went into that supermarket? A lady came up and asked me what I was looking for and showed me what aisle it was in. Helpful, but they have a darker side. They get into fights with their significant others and threaten violence. Mostly it stays with just threats.

Returning home, I just caught the bus and got on at the back of it. I LIKE the back of the bus, it is raised up, and you see really good, you know? And I have always thought, 'man, if I were of a different color, I would LOVE riding at the back of the bus. Because if that mofo driving crashes into someone driving crazily, it will be the ones in the FRONT who get killed....'

Just a satiric thought here... and no, I didn't get that one from anybody, gawd inspired me... whoever she is....

Whatever, I want to get off at Jacki, and it turns out there is a problem with the back of the bus, and my multi-focal glasses. If you are lost in your thoughts, you don't concentrate on what you are doing, and miss the last step, because you didn't see it. They can tend to compress things if you aren't looking correctly.

So I mis-stepped and landed on my arse on the last step of the back of the bus.

(See, it has it's drawbacks, as does everything....)

Some guy wanted to help me up, which I can do myself, thenk you veddy much....

Are you HURT? he asked.

And I said 'No, only my pride.'

And then....

SHIIIT!

Soooo... every day another adventure... if you look and observe....