Were you sitting here?
I don't take the bus often but I remember on this day it was my only way to work in Providence. I missed the early bus so I was forced to take a later one. I took my seat near the driver and since this was pre Ipad I had nothing to do but watch the people as they came aboard at the various stops. After a few stops I noticed that we weren't going on to the highway but instead proceeding to Providence via direct but red light filled route. We were also stopping quite a bit and as each person boarded the bus I began to notice that I was getting some unusual stares. Well we made our next stop less than half way into our journey yet we had been on the road more than twice the time that it would take me to drive the same distance. We pulled into an assisted living facility and began our wait for the passengers to board. Was this a chartered bus trip that I had stumbled upon or some kind of private tour? .The passengers slowly boarded the bus and I began to hear rumblings as each person passed me then suddenly there she was. "That is MY seat" she shouted. I moved to a seat at the back of the bus unwilling to confront the situation that contained and angry mob of senior citizens.
I thought of this incident recently when Joann and I were walking thru town and decided to sit on one of the benches at the town dock. I noticed the look of a couple of ladies near us knitting and talking. It was the same look that I had gotten in the bus a few years ago. I quickly suggested that we move to another nearby bench and with in minutes several ladies, knitting in hand settled into our vacant bench. It was "their bench " public as it is but non the less a place that I would bet they use regularly to meet and discuss knitting and events of the day with friends.
I guess it is one of those unspoken rules that you don't violate. Like going into a local VFW post and taking "Norms" seat at the end of the bar even if the World War II vet had not been in for a beer in years. It was still his stool.
There are certain rules of life that make things go more smoothly. They arent written down, nor should they be but if we would listen to them once in a while life would be a bit easier for all of us.
I thought of this incident recently when Joann and I were walking thru town and decided to sit on one of the benches at the town dock. I noticed the look of a couple of ladies near us knitting and talking. It was the same look that I had gotten in the bus a few years ago. I quickly suggested that we move to another nearby bench and with in minutes several ladies, knitting in hand settled into our vacant bench. It was "their bench " public as it is but non the less a place that I would bet they use regularly to meet and discuss knitting and events of the day with friends.
I guess it is one of those unspoken rules that you don't violate. Like going into a local VFW post and taking "Norms" seat at the end of the bar even if the World War II vet had not been in for a beer in years. It was still his stool.
There are certain rules of life that make things go more smoothly. They arent written down, nor should they be but if we would listen to them once in a while life would be a bit easier for all of us.