Where Do You Get Off?
Hey. Completely out of character, but I got in an argument with a stranger. True. I know you’re all “Shut your face”, but no, I will not. I will keep my face open.
I was on the phone last night on the bus ride home from work, when the guy behind me huffed.
Straight away, I thought: “That’s it. I’ve had it with the huffing. When this fucking call is over, I swear to god.”
Then things got worse.
He has done this before when I’ve been on the phone. He’s a regular on the bus, but not that regular. He had huffed before not sitting next to me, but when he was behind me. We travel on a bus, doing up to sixty on a motorway - so you can imagine it’s a noisy environment.
Now, people have conversations on the bus with fellow commuters, so if I’m talking at the same volume, I give no fucks for people complaining about my being on the phone.
While I continued talking to my friend he stirred aggressively, laughed, huffed again, stirred and said to someone across the aisle: “God. Verbal diarrhoea”.
My call ended shortly after, and I stood up and walked to where he was sitting.
Me: What’s your problem?
Him: What?
Me: What did you mean by “verbal diarrhoea”?
Him: I don’t want to hear your conversation.
Me: I’ll endeavour to keep my conversations quiet, but there’s no need for that. That’s just name calling.
I actually said endeavour.
Him: I’m trying to read a book and you’re inflicting your conversation on me.
Me: I’m not inflicting anything, this is public transport. I respect your privacy, but don’t insult me.
Him: I didn’t. I don’t want to hear your phone call.
Me: You turned around, laughed and said “verbal diarrhoea”. That’s just abusive.
I looked at the person he said it to, who was staring down into his lap. I turned back to this guy.
Him: I don’t have to hear your conversation.
Me: Understood, but don’t point and laugh, either. Let’s have some dignity. Jesus.
Then my stop turned up and I walked to the front of the bus.
Nice.
“Fucking dignity” would have been perfect, but I’m not. Especially not these days. I’ve got so much going on that I can’t begin to explain it all. Physically, emotionally, professionally… Let’s just say this year is living up to the unexpected. Sorry I haven’t posted over the last couple of days. I’ll try to get into more arguments.
But how about that, right? Go me.
But please: have a good weekend.
September 21st, 2007 at 7:55 am
Man, you ROCK. I’ll tell you what, though. I won’t be messing with you. Again.
Nice to see you back.
September 21st, 2007 at 8:53 am
Someone got annoyed with me on the bus recently because I didn’t hear them asking me to close the window. At the time Linkin Park were doing their best to burst my eardrums. I don’t want to hear the crying babies, drunks (and yes on my bus, the number 1 Red Line OVERground, you get drunks in the middle of the day) and people complaining about the weather and the price of fish. I shut them all out with my music.
This is my space, stay out of it.
Oh dear I’m ranting - as well.
September 21st, 2007 at 9:12 am
would you all just shut the f**k up. i’m trying to concentrate here!
(just in case: i didn’t mean that. it was a joke.)
Emom, you have given me the listening inspiration i needed for today, thank you.
September 21st, 2007 at 9:14 am
Thanks Wendy. I think you just did. This is my second bus rage incident, as you may remember.
Emom - Could you have aural diarrhoea? Like where you can’t stop listening to everything. Also - there is no underground in Aberdeen, so OVERground is a misnomer (I think - I’m not exactly sure what one is) Is there any other bus number apart from number 1? Or any other bus line apart from red? Maybe they should have just called it “Line”.
Also - the song you were listening to at the time was called Don’t Stay, right?
September 21st, 2007 at 9:38 am
Or maybe they should just call it “ground”.
Yeah, that ground rage. Jesus.
September 21st, 2007 at 9:54 am
Ohh I get all pompous-sounding when I’m cross in public - ‘endeavour’ is just what I’d have spouted from somewhere!
I’m glad you argued with him and I would have liked to have told him that he was offending me by breathing the same air! I think I may have said ‘fuck’ too.
Or I’d have seethed and said nothing - which you didn’t do - yayy Cliff!
September 21st, 2007 at 10:16 am
Thanks Sooz - I wanted to sound first and polite. You have to take the moral highground when someone a suited man in his fifties says “verbal diarrhoea”.
The bus steward was sitting behind him as well, and I don’t want to get a ban, so I wanted to make clear that I was being polite and he was being abusive.
I’d normally do nothing. In FACT, I was thinking of doing nothing and posting and ranting about it on here, but if I’m truly honest with myself, I though it might make a good post.
Wendy - “Ground. Line.”
September 21st, 2007 at 11:22 am
The song was By Myself. There are other numbers Cliff, I can also get the number 2 but I wasn’t going to start a whole new debate on that subject.
As for colours, Aberdeen is quite diverse, we even have a fuschia line.
September 21st, 2007 at 11:59 am
Thanks Emom - because Meester popped up on my MSN messenger and he was listening to that song by Linkin Park. I thought it was a three way coincidence. Then I saw his comment saying he was listening to it because of your comment anyway. So really, it had nothing to do with me. I should mind by own business in future. I’ll just keep blogging, shall I?
Colour-coded bus lines. My worst nightmare.
September 21st, 2007 at 12:01 pm
And was he turning to other commuters who were talking to each other and telling THEM to shut up whilst he read his book? No he wasn’t. Fuck him. And fuck his book, which was probably by John Grisham or Wilbur Smith or similar anyway.
September 21st, 2007 at 12:01 pm
These daddylonglegses are making me VERY ANGRY.
September 21st, 2007 at 12:43 pm
See Cliff I was being too bloody clever, or thought you were anyway. In the song Don’t Stay, Chester screams “STAY AWAY FROM ME”, which would fit in with the mood of your blog entry and my comment.
Anyway sorry no spooky coincidences going on there - although I did have the EXACT CHANGE for the driver
September 21st, 2007 at 12:50 pm
i guess a number 2 bus is like a number 2 pencil but bigger?
September 21st, 2007 at 12:51 pm
… and isn’t usually eraser-tipped
September 21st, 2007 at 2:11 pm
And I’d be very worried about a constipated mathematician who worked it out with a number 2 bus.
September 21st, 2007 at 2:12 pm
“As for colours, Aberdeen is quite diverse”
I really wondered where you were going there, mother.
September 21st, 2007 at 2:20 pm
You see now why I didn’t mention number 2 before?
September 21st, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Wait. She’s your mother?
September 21st, 2007 at 3:56 pm
You need to keep a lid on this soap opera, Cliff, your comments are in danger of crowding out otherwise excellent posts…
September 21st, 2007 at 5:17 pm
lolol @ meesterryan’s bus-with-an-eraser (omg I typed ‘bush-with-an-eraser’!!)
mother? meesterryan is Wendy’s mother?
September 21st, 2007 at 5:42 pm
WOOHOO! Go Cliff. I got your back. Only 4000 miles away. But Still.
September 22nd, 2007 at 12:23 am
I usually get off at the Royal/Gateway exit but it’s cheaper to get off at Las Colinas Parkway, turn left at the light, and then right on Royal. Going the other way I always get off at Old Denton/McCoy, though.
What?
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Woo good job someone’s got the guts to stand up for themselves. I could understand if someone was talking loudly on the phone and swearing, but considering the language you used in your blog thing I’m guessing you’re not that kind of person. People can be really rude on buses these days, I get dirty looks for no reason at all, and i hate it when older people (this means people who are not actually old at all but think they are priviledged to everything) expect you to move so they can sit down! I have a heavy bag for college and a heavy folder and if i drop it World War 3 will commence on a packed bus, but I’m sure they want that to talk about how dreadful teenagers are these days. Rant over. haha
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Thanks for the comment Amy. No one wants World War 3 on a bus. The Battle of Gettysburg perhaps, but not nukes.