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It was a long, rather difficult day at work today. We're changing things around, starting to receive pallets of books for fall, etc. Lots of running up and down stairs, up and down ladders, hauling metric fucktons of books and so on and so forth. As per usual, my left knee swelled a bit under this conditions, since I have cartilage issues with it (as in, I have pretty much none...). It happens. I took some advil, and went about my merry, way, praising all the gods when it was finally time for me to clock out and go home.
Now, when my knee swells, I tend to sit in the front of the bus, which yes, is reserved for seniors and handicapped/disabled people. There's more leg room, so I can stretch my leg out without fear of my knee locking into position, and it's less walking for me, to maneuver down the aisle, and so on.
I'm on the bus on the way home, with my left leg stretched out in front of me as much as I can, when this old woman gets on the bus. She sits next to me and I smile vaguely in greeting when she says hi. No big deal, right?
Would I be posting a sighting otherwise?
A scant minute after sitting down, she pokes my arm.
OW: I know you're not a senior!!
Me: <blink blink> beg pardon?
OW: You aren't a senior! These seats are reserved for seniors. You're just being lazy! Like all these other people sitting in these seats!
Me: <Steely eyed glare> These seats are reserved for seniors and handicapped or disabled people. Not that it's any of your business, but since I technically have no cartilage in my left knee and it's currently swollen to twice it's size, I think it's just fine for me to sit here.
OW: <Cat butt face> I was just verifying! You have no cause to be RUDE! You're still not a senior, and these seats are for seniors!!
Me: No offense, but it's not your job to verify where I choose to sit on the bus!
OW: I'm old! I'm allowed! You get to be my age you're allowed to do a lot of things!
Me: My grandmother is 76 years old, ma'am. As she would say, "My age doesn't excuse me from acting like an ass, whether I'm 7 or 70."
I pull out my mp3 player after that and plug it in, promptly ignoring her. She tries to wave her hand at me and I simply close my eyes. Buh. Seriously? Trying to get on my case for where I choose to sit? None of your business lady! Given that it was a large bus, there were easily 6 other seats available in the front in the speshul section she could have chosen to sit. But nope. She plopped down next to me and tried to guilt me into leaving, or something to that effect, I think. She had to shove her bags under the seat and kept glancing down at them, then glaring at me.
I called my mom about it while on the bus and pointedly told her the story while OW was still sitting next to me, emphasizing how it's so sad people automatically make judgments based on appearance, and what is the world coming to, etc? Mom said I should've looked her right in the eye, completely serious and told her in as truthful as a tone I could manage that I was 62 years old.
Did it end here?
Oh no. She looks at the poor girl sitting on the seat across from me, (also in the speshul section) and waits until we're at a stop light. I caught her warbly, grating voice in the pause between songs on my mp3 player. What does she say to the girl sitting across from me?
OW: I know you're not a senior!!
I turned up the volume on my music and counted down the minutes until we reached the transit center. I noticed her glaring at me again when we pulled in. I had to use one of the straps that hang on the bar for standing riders to help pull myself to my feet and hobble off the bus. the stairs were a killer and I remembered to shoot her a BIG grin as I climbed down. I think she doesn't like me much. What a shame.
Now, when my knee swells, I tend to sit in the front of the bus, which yes, is reserved for seniors and handicapped/disabled people. There's more leg room, so I can stretch my leg out without fear of my knee locking into position, and it's less walking for me, to maneuver down the aisle, and so on.
I'm on the bus on the way home, with my left leg stretched out in front of me as much as I can, when this old woman gets on the bus. She sits next to me and I smile vaguely in greeting when she says hi. No big deal, right?
Would I be posting a sighting otherwise?
A scant minute after sitting down, she pokes my arm.
OW: I know you're not a senior!!
Me: <blink blink> beg pardon?
OW: You aren't a senior! These seats are reserved for seniors. You're just being lazy! Like all these other people sitting in these seats!
Me: <Steely eyed glare> These seats are reserved for seniors and handicapped or disabled people. Not that it's any of your business, but since I technically have no cartilage in my left knee and it's currently swollen to twice it's size, I think it's just fine for me to sit here.
OW: <Cat butt face> I was just verifying! You have no cause to be RUDE! You're still not a senior, and these seats are for seniors!!
Me: No offense, but it's not your job to verify where I choose to sit on the bus!
OW: I'm old! I'm allowed! You get to be my age you're allowed to do a lot of things!
Me: My grandmother is 76 years old, ma'am. As she would say, "My age doesn't excuse me from acting like an ass, whether I'm 7 or 70."
I pull out my mp3 player after that and plug it in, promptly ignoring her. She tries to wave her hand at me and I simply close my eyes. Buh. Seriously? Trying to get on my case for where I choose to sit? None of your business lady! Given that it was a large bus, there were easily 6 other seats available in the front in the speshul section she could have chosen to sit. But nope. She plopped down next to me and tried to guilt me into leaving, or something to that effect, I think. She had to shove her bags under the seat and kept glancing down at them, then glaring at me.
I called my mom about it while on the bus and pointedly told her the story while OW was still sitting next to me, emphasizing how it's so sad people automatically make judgments based on appearance, and what is the world coming to, etc? Mom said I should've looked her right in the eye, completely serious and told her in as truthful as a tone I could manage that I was 62 years old.
Did it end here?
Oh no. She looks at the poor girl sitting on the seat across from me, (also in the speshul section) and waits until we're at a stop light. I caught her warbly, grating voice in the pause between songs on my mp3 player. What does she say to the girl sitting across from me?
OW: I know you're not a senior!!
I turned up the volume on my music and counted down the minutes until we reached the transit center. I noticed her glaring at me again when we pulled in. I had to use one of the straps that hang on the bar for standing riders to help pull myself to my feet and hobble off the bus. the stairs were a killer and I remembered to shoot her a BIG grin as I climbed down. I think she doesn't like me much. What a shame.
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