I Love NYC Public Transportation

No, I don't love the NYC Metro Transit Authority (MTA) -- as an organization, I think it's corrupt and largely insensitive and uncaring vis-a-vis the typical New York commuter. Basically, the MTA is either campaigning to raise subway/bus fare or flipping riders the bird. Or both, if one thinks about it.

As of this writing, it costs $2.00 to board a subway or bus. Technically, you could spend an entire day (or a week) roaming the subway system for that two bucks; but most people swipe their Metrocard, walk through a turnstile, get on a subway, go somewhere, get off the train, go through another turnstile, and go on about their day. Two dollars is not a lot of money for a system that, for the most part, works really well.

Except these days, thanks to the inordinate amount of snow that fell in New York over the weekend (and then some), the MTA is, and New Yorkers in general are, apparently, having a tough time coping. Yesterday morning, for example, I went to my local bus stop (diagonally across the street from my building) and waited for a bus...and waited...and waited...and waited. Finally, when a bus finally showed up (twenty minutes later), I got on (along with ten times the normal amount of people who usually board at that stop). When my sister, who lives seven blocks away from me (on the way to the office), and I are on the same morning schedule, I save her a seat so we can have an informal "business meeting" while riding to work. However, due to the lack of buses, there were a shitload of people on the bus that particular morning, so as people attempted to sit in the seat next to me, I said "I'm saving this seat for someone getting on at the next stop," and, for the most part, they were okay with that. However, one large -- LARGE -- woman took exception. She had brown hair, but otherwise resembled Michael Caine's female alter-ego in "Dressed to Kill." This, despite being my honest opinion, is not a complimentary one.

So when she attempted to park her ass on the seat next to me, I said politely "I'm sorry, I'm saving this for my sister, she's getting on at the next stop." Instead of saying "Okay" and moving on, Morticia (my nickname for her) decides to share her ugliness verbally as well as visually. "Saving it for someone?" And sticks her nose up. As she continues down the aisle, I say "Thank you" noting her demeanor and not appreciating same. Apparently she didn't make it very far down the aisle because I heard her mutter something and then someone, a man, asked her "What did he say?" She responded, loudly, by saying "He said he's SAVING the seat for someone. He'll learn -- that doesn't work in New York." And she chuckled condescendingly. So, being that I waited for 20 minutes for a bus, I wasn't appreciating her attitude. And I turned around and responded with: "Neither does putting on a pound of make-up with a spoon, you skank."

She didn't respond verbally to that. Although several people around me did -- by laughing out loud.

When she wound up sitting a half-dozen seats away, in front of me and to the side, I noticed a sarcastic look cross her face when my sister finally got on the bus and sat down next to me. So I gave her a friendly wave.

What I learned from this experience is that being polite is always a good first effort, but once you realize that people are too far gone for rational, respectful, decent behavior, don't hesitate to let them know what you think of them. It's very therapeutic letting people know what you think about them, so I tend to willingly tell people to go fuck themselves, to paraphrase Joe Pesci, more often than not. Doesn't matter if it's a three-nippled nun, a bull-dyke make-up-laden transvestite hooker or The Mayor. In fact, I'd prefer it was Hizzoner...that would make it more rewarding.

This little nugget of experience would have been flushed along with the rest of yesterday's inconsequential events, except this morning, an almost identical set of circumstances occurred, ie a 20+ minute wait for a bus, a lot of people waiting impatiently, and the same she-he-beast boarded the bus. Of course, I was saving the seat, and, of course, she didn't even look in my direction or near the seat when she slowly lumbered down the aisle.

But, like the day before, she was wearing a faceful of Morticia-worthy make-up.

So...the lesson learned...even if you tell people what you think of them, many still prefer wallowing in their own little puddles of worthlessness to changing.

It's always nice to be able to learn something new each day ;-)