PUBLIC TRANSIT

PUBLIC TRANSIT

On the bus transit, you can bet your last dollar there are old gums stuck to the bottom of seats by benevolent persons. All you need do is crack one off, if you need it.

It was not nice what happened to me on the bus. I got on the bus and spotted an empty seat beside an elderly gentleman with a fuzzy beard. It was the last available seat. As soon as I made to sit down, the man gave me a funny look, stood up and moved away. He remained standing, holding onto the metal pole of the bus with one hand. Our gazes held for a second, before he turned away, fuming.

A lot of people prefer sitting alone on buses, so moving to an empty seat happens often and doesn’t bother me. But there was no empty seat on this bus. It wasn't a matter of wanting a seat closer to the exit either. It was apparent his exit point was not close.

"Am I not cool enough to sit next to or what?" I wondered. I was sure personal hygiene was not the issue. I was well-groomed and fashionable, if I may say so myself. Was the man a racist? I thought long and hard about it and almost got a migraine in the process.

Another stop, another passenger. This time, it was a woman. She was in her twenties and wore a pale green and yellow dress. She noticed the free seat and made a beeline for it. The man with the fuzzy beard quickly blocked her path.

"Stop! It’s wet! The seat's wet!"

I noticed now there was a visible wet patch on his pants. Some people don’t bother checking and end up sitting on wet seats or chewing gum. The woman was spared the discomfort of sitting on the spilled water? Someone’s sweat or pee? Heaven knows what a weirdo had left behind on the seat.

I smiled and my migraine immediately receded. Sometimes we read too far into things. We read signals and hidden messages that are not actually there.