I cannot emphasize enough that taking public transportation gives you a view into humanity that you just don't get driving around with your windows up.
The other day I was waiting for the Max... just sitting there minding my own business, ready to go home after a long day of running errands. There was a scruffy looking older man in a wheelchair waiting nearby.
He rolled up to me and said "Sorry to annoy you, but would you put my books in my bag?"
"Um... sure" I replied.
Reaching behind him he pulled two books from between his back and the back of his chair and handed them to me. As I put them in the backpack hanging behind his chair I noticed that one of them was the Alcoholics Anonymous big book - I couldn't tell what the other one was. I zipped up the back pack and went to sit down again.
"Thanks" he said.
"No problem."
So I continue sitting there, trying to decide if it was worth it to pull my own book out of my backpack or if the Max would be there soon enough for me not to bother trying to read. But it turns out Mr. Wheelie Drinksnomore wanted to chat now.
"I want to compliment you on your beauty*." He said.
Oh lord...now I try to be good about accepting compliments but on this particular day I was no where near beautiful. My hair was in a pony tail and I was all sweaty & tired from being out and about but... not wanting to be rude I just said a modest "Thank you." and tried to think of something witty to say about inner beauty.
"Thank you for your beauty*. It's nice to give a man something good to look at."
And wow - there's suddenly something very interesting on the other end of the platform!
*I should mention that I happened to be wearing a low cut top... well not so much low as loosely cut top because it was hot - but you know if I leaned over or slouched at all.... anyway I'm pretty sure you can substitute "low cut blouse" for "beauty" in his comments and get his true sentiment.
8 comments:
These people will stay with you the rest of your life. I've got fond memories of Barking Shitzu Man from the People Mover in Anchorage and Fightin' Russian Granny on Transfort in Fort Collins.
Although I have to disagree with the rolled-up window theory. Depends where you are. Here in Jersey where most of your time is spent idling in traffic, you can get to peek on some very interesting people. I recently "met" Horrible Singing Trash Man. YIkes!
i really like the contrast of the ride the day before with this one. one's all sweet and 'yay america' and the other's all pervy and lecherous.
and kind of 'yay america' if you think about it.
Huh, maybe he's in a wheel chair becasue he talks too much...just say'n...
Eww. I'm glad I can enjoy your funny mass transit stories second hand. I have similar stories of creepy people from when I worked at Denny's in Fairbanks for a month. Yeah, a month was as long as I lasted.
just to play devil's advocate (and yes, i probably would have felt uncomfortable if some pervy stranger looked down my shirt and told me that, too), it may have been a sincere voicing of gratitude. like looking at a person he found attractive was like stopping to smell the roses, or noticing people being kind to each other (like in your last bus story), or feeling the warm sun on his face, or or a tasting good cup of coffee or something like that, and he wanted to do a kind thing and tell you he appreciated it...?
oh! this just happened to me last week, too, at an art event. he wasn't in a wheelchair, but he stared too long and said, "you're pretty." in a way that made me uncomfortable. i think we was just slow & well-meaning, though.
You're making driving around with the window rolled up sound pretty good!
Bezzie - you make a good point, and a nack for descriptive names!
D - yeah, I guess it is all Yay America.
Olga - I think you might be on to something there. LOL
melissa - you'll have to share some of your Denny's stories... I'm guessing you had some interesting regulars.
marissa - I can always count on you to give the glass-half-full interpretation
gl - I think there's about a 3 second difference between an appreciative glance and a creepy stare.
m5K - come on, live a little!
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