Back off Man or Jus min’ yo bidness, jus min’ yo bidness

As per my previous blog, I will now recount the story of the “encounter I had on the street car on the way home from work one day.

I guess two months ago, I was on my way home from work, stayed an extra hour , that’ll learn me to work late, anyway, waiting forever at Union station for the street car, nothing new. Station was jammed, nothing new. The 509 (the one I need to take to get home – the longer line, but everyone crowds on it ever though there is a shorter line (510) that comes more frequently) comes first into the station therefore everyone – even those that should not – gets on, nothing new. Ok, fine, I end up getting on and I’m one of the last ones to get a seat. I end up sitting next to this guy who shaves his head, (I bet he tells people he does it to look cool, but it’s really to hide that he’s going bald) and he thinks he’s all cool, got his headphones in, business suit and wool trench coat and taking up a seat and a half!

Through the early stages of the ride, as I have ½ of my leg hanging in the aisle, I try to get more comfortable and move more into my own seat. Ironically, there’s a response, but not a good one, not vocal either, this guy is also one of those passive aggressive types, so he takes in a big breath and as he does so pushes his arms out trying to keep me at bay. But as he’s breathing out, I try to take the opportunity of shifting weight to move closer to being in the centre of my seat (as my leg is still hanging in the aisle).

Passive Aggressive Act #2, he moves his arm pretending to get comfortable but in reality trying to reassert his space. I don’t budge.

He he’s really frustrated, he goes to take out his headphones and asks me if I’m “trying to squish him in?” “I’m trying to squish you in!” I respond rather loudly – I’m ready to cause a scene if he’s ready for it. “Yes, that’s right, you’re squishing me in” he reaffirms.

Oh it’s on, I usually slink away from any confrontation, I’m not the type, but this guy, with his Holt Renfrew bag in tow was asking for it. Taking up my space, then telling me I’m squishing him! Passive Aggressive I tell you.

Without telling him that the situation is in reality his fault, hey, I can be passive aggressive to, I ask “How can I be squishing you in if I’m halfway off the seat? Do you want to see where my leg is?”

Pretending to take the high road, as he didn’t expect this coming from someone who was about a half-foot shorter and obviously not working in the financial district, he says “I was just asking” I respond, now accusingly “No you weren’t just asking, you wanted to start something!”

And now he has to back off because he can’t win this one and people standing all over are getting embarrassed for this guy who is complaining while there are 20 people in the vicinity standing.

As he proceeds to pub the headphones back in his ear he states, “Well, I just think that’s ignorant” Oh, now he wants the last word! He starts this and now wants the last word. Nope, not gonna stand for it. “Oh I’m ignorant! Look at where my leg is, look where you are, how can I be squishing you. You are over the line where the seat ends, how am I squishing YOU!”

We repeat these lines a few more times before he finally puts the headphones back in without muttering anything else. I win.

My god, what a jackass he was. Funny, if you look at society, you’ll find that the older, well-off white men, are so shameful in how delicate they are. They are the asses with the massive umbrellas walking down the street, getting in everybody else’s way, taking seats from elders or pregnant women and then expect some sort of respect.

They are just a bunch of savages with no manners, no grace, and no sense. Well, point is, I won a battle. Although, reality was on my side for this one.

So to all you transit riders, be considerate, we all want to get home, we’ve all had stressful days, we don’t need the ride home to be any more of a pain that it already is.