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I was downtown and wanted to avoid the usual route I take to the other end because it's always crowded. So I waited for a less-full route. Well, my friend and I were discussing dinner possibilities so I let that one go. An hour later we'd decided we were both too sick to go out and I was faced with the undesirable route again.
Well, I kind of needed this one because it's the only one that goes to my grocery store. I acquiesced. A woman going to the homeless shelter got on, announcing to the bus driver that's where she was going. I guess that's why he let her on with one of those huge metal shopping carts that blocks the aisle. It's technically against the rules, but sometimes they let the person do it if the stop is close by, and it was.
Let me interject here that I think she has some kind of mental disability that engenders hostility. Does that excuse it? Not exactly, but there's something to be said for extending grace to people.
Passengers couldn't get to the back seats, which are raised up and you have to use stairs. I would've gone up there, but I was in pain and I shouldn't be lifting my grocery cart, which I needed today. For the record, mine will fit in my lap if needed. Anyway, homeless lady was talking back at them passive-aggressively. It wasn't nice, but I understand her frustration and that of the other side.
I put my cart on my lap so she could sit there but she didn't. Another lady came on and HL told her there was a seat by me. That lady didn't want it for whatever reason, but honestly I think she was taken aback at the situation and not thinking about her response. She sat by me and gave me a look that told me she was incredulous at HL. I felt the need to apologize for not moving back and why I didn't. She assured me it was no problem. More people got on and she said, "We're gonna have to go up now." She and another man struggled to get past HL's huge cart. Meanwhile the bus had to go, so it did, and I was afraid for people but stuck where I was.
The whole time people were talking about HL and she was passive-aggressively defending herself. It was uncomfortable. I understand why she responded that way, though it would've been better for her not to. She was talking bad about all kinds of things that only she would understand, so I knew she was off.
She got off and then the real suck came out: a lady--I use that term loosely--yelled at the bus driver for not doing his job, for not taking control of the bus. I thought His job is to drive the bus! OK, I could still see both sides, but she could've let it go or complained to the bus company. She elicited my ire when she said something about "We cater to these people..." So a homeless person can't take a 5-minute ride to the shelter once in a blue moon? I sure hope "these people" didn't include the gentleman in a wheelchair opposite her, or my other bus friend who walks with a cane, or me who cannot carry more than 6 or 7 lbs on my shoulder at a time. I really don't know if she meant just homeless people or them plus disabled people. If she did mean the latter, that was hypocritical since she had her foot in a boot.
I was thisclose to telling her the mark of true character is compassion for those who are struggling, even if you feel they don't deserve it. But I thought of the proverb "Don't answer a fool according to his folly" and decided in this situation that was better than "Answer a fool according to his folly." Calling her out on the carpet for her lack of grace and compassion wouldn't have changed her. She's had 50 years or so to develop this bitterness she has and I'm not going to change it with one statement.
Well, I kind of needed this one because it's the only one that goes to my grocery store. I acquiesced. A woman going to the homeless shelter got on, announcing to the bus driver that's where she was going. I guess that's why he let her on with one of those huge metal shopping carts that blocks the aisle. It's technically against the rules, but sometimes they let the person do it if the stop is close by, and it was.
Let me interject here that I think she has some kind of mental disability that engenders hostility. Does that excuse it? Not exactly, but there's something to be said for extending grace to people.
Passengers couldn't get to the back seats, which are raised up and you have to use stairs. I would've gone up there, but I was in pain and I shouldn't be lifting my grocery cart, which I needed today. For the record, mine will fit in my lap if needed. Anyway, homeless lady was talking back at them passive-aggressively. It wasn't nice, but I understand her frustration and that of the other side.
I put my cart on my lap so she could sit there but she didn't. Another lady came on and HL told her there was a seat by me. That lady didn't want it for whatever reason, but honestly I think she was taken aback at the situation and not thinking about her response. She sat by me and gave me a look that told me she was incredulous at HL. I felt the need to apologize for not moving back and why I didn't. She assured me it was no problem. More people got on and she said, "We're gonna have to go up now." She and another man struggled to get past HL's huge cart. Meanwhile the bus had to go, so it did, and I was afraid for people but stuck where I was.
The whole time people were talking about HL and she was passive-aggressively defending herself. It was uncomfortable. I understand why she responded that way, though it would've been better for her not to. She was talking bad about all kinds of things that only she would understand, so I knew she was off.
She got off and then the real suck came out: a lady--I use that term loosely--yelled at the bus driver for not doing his job, for not taking control of the bus. I thought His job is to drive the bus! OK, I could still see both sides, but she could've let it go or complained to the bus company. She elicited my ire when she said something about "We cater to these people..." So a homeless person can't take a 5-minute ride to the shelter once in a blue moon? I sure hope "these people" didn't include the gentleman in a wheelchair opposite her, or my other bus friend who walks with a cane, or me who cannot carry more than 6 or 7 lbs on my shoulder at a time. I really don't know if she meant just homeless people or them plus disabled people. If she did mean the latter, that was hypocritical since she had her foot in a boot.
I was thisclose to telling her the mark of true character is compassion for those who are struggling, even if you feel they don't deserve it. But I thought of the proverb "Don't answer a fool according to his folly" and decided in this situation that was better than "Answer a fool according to his folly." Calling her out on the carpet for her lack of grace and compassion wouldn't have changed her. She's had 50 years or so to develop this bitterness she has and I'm not going to change it with one statement.
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