Public Transportation-Strangers On A Bus

I had an early 9 am therapy appointment which meant the bus would arrive to pick me up at 7:15 am to get me there by 8:30 am. Yes that is one heck of a bus ride, but that is how it goes. I got on the bus and sat right in the front seat because nobody usually sat upfront, and I was self-conscious about mingling around looking for a seat that day. I had noticed quite quickly that the back of the bus was full and I wasn't going to sit in the middle. I took the window seat because I don't like people crawling over me adjusting their seat belts and jabbing me all over the place.

On the second stop we pick up about seven people. A very friendly and extremely chatty bunch of people, most of them said hello to everybody and shared hugs with each other. That was enough for me, I look away so they won't bother me, I do not like being touched or hugged, and most definitely not from strangers. I was happy they all squeezed into the middle of the bus, leaving the seat next to me pleasingly empty.

Several more ho-hum stops, we then pick up a 20 something kid. He zeroed right in on the empty seat next to me, and greedily snatched it up. Down he plopped like a wet fish. He was so animated I thought I slipped into a cartoon. I just wanted to crawl under the seat unnoticed. He took what seemed like an eternity to adjust his seat belt. My thought: "Buckle up, quit muddling around and just sit there." Oh no,not this guy. Every two minutes he let out a merry guffaw, and started happily rocking and stamping his feet along to music I didn't hear.

After four or five loud guffaws, he surged in my direction. One swift punch into my right arm, as he laughed energetically. I had not taken my morning meds yet and I was not in the mood for mirthful people who thought it was okay to pummel a stranger in the arm. He socked me for the third time. Now I am all about kindness and getting along with my fellow bus riders, but it was 7:15 in the morning and I was functioning on 3 hours of sleep. So I told him to stay in his seat and keep his hands to himself please. He laughed. I think I almost cried from frustration. "It's a good day" he says to everyone on the bus. The chatter was killing me, I felt rather homicidal at this point.

It wasn't a good day, it just wasn't. No matter how the cute man-boy thought it was. There were plenty of people on the bus he could cheer up, no, he picks on me. Just because he is happy and says it's a good day doesn't make it so. I was in an emotional tizzy, I was on my way to my therapist, I had a lot on my mind. Happy, not one of them. I don't care that man-boy was with the Gods or whomever he was carrying on a conversation with. "Keep talking to yourself because I am not interested dude". I might as well talk to myself too, because he wasn't listening to me.

I just wanted off the bus. Immediately. When I am riding the bus I am in MY OWN private world, and I don't want to share my discomfort with others. I chose to stare out the window and agree with man-boy, but if he touched me again I was going to crawl under the seat, or start sobbing uncontrollably. He let out another shocking guffaw, “you can't do that." Okay whatever, can we just ride the darn bus? "okay" he said. Okay? that's it? That was easy. Now I felt guilty because I may have hurt his feelings. Heck with that. I should of took my meds before I got on the bus and took a backseat. So now I feel like a bad person because I didn't appreciate man-boys babbling good mood.

No more bus rides without medication. If I wanted to make friends or chatter I would have worn a name tag.Who says I have to be chatty with people on the bus anyway? He could have been a serial killer sizing me up, trying to get in my good graces so he could hunt me down and do horrible things to my body. So like it or not , don't bug me while I’m enjoying my bus ride. You stay in your seat and I’ll stay in mine. If you insist on talking, keep talking to yourself, and don't answer me when I do the same. But if one more person touches me they are karate soup.

I am as normal as anyone on that bus, but you don’t see me punching people because I am having a great day. By the time I got off the bus I really needed therapy. Not to mention a handful of anti-anxiety medication, and a long hot bath to sooth my soul.

Note: Just to clarify again, these are observations from the author's experience only, no meanness or cruelty is intended. Each persons personality is unique, some people express more that freely than others.