Public Transportation

As I mentioned in my last blog, I have been using the public transit system in my area to get home each day. My commute consists of walking a couple of blocks from my work to catch a streetcar. Then I transfer to the train. Lastly, I catch a bus to a stop about 5 or 6 blocks from my home. The whole process takes about an hour and a half on average. I usually just read a book or some other busywork to pass the time. I like to think that I'm a pretty tolerant and patient person, but sometimes people still amaze me at their public antics.

You see all kinds of people when you take public transportation and it's truly a trip. I see everyone from the suit and tie guy with a laptop bag on one shoulder and Starbucks cup in hand to the teenage girl girl with the purple, spiky hair blasting her ipod next to your ear. Then there's everyone in between. It's interesting to observe people. Once many years ago, I rode the train with my mom and nephew (it was his first time on it). As we sat there, we were in awe of this man with a rather pungent odor picked lint off of his sweater and then ate it. You can imagine my nephew's wide-eyed curiousity at this lovely sight.

Today on the streetcar I witnessed absurdity at it's finest. This college-aged girl was jabbering away with her African-American male friend about how she was going to ace her Japanese class. He disagreed with her, so she set out to prove him wrong by attempting to pronounce a variety of Japanese words. She proceeded to butcher every word with a very American accent and brag about her amazing language skills...all the while sitting right next to a Japanese woman who looked on in amusement and amazement as this all unfolded. I had to stop myself from correcting her pronounciation. Eventually she got off the streetcar with her true blue short shorts that were sucked inside her crack (I kid you not!...though she did have the body for it) and her male friend with his own tighty-whity derriere nestled above his stylish jeans. Yes, the streetcar is always an interesting scene.

Then later on this same afternoon, I was reading my book on the train and was minding my own business...along with a handful of other literary enthusiasts. This woman got on and began to read aloud from some book to her friend. She continued this for quite awhile. One by one, all of us with our noses in our books looked up with irritation at this woman who was completely oblivious to everyone. She was deeply immersed in her stirring read aloud. Ever try to count something while someone else randomly calls out numbers so that you keep losing track? That's what it was like trying to read as this gal did her recitation. It got to the point that every book closed and we all exchanged incredulous looks. When she finally got off the train we all let out a collective sigh of relief. It was a little funny actually. People crack me up sometimes.