Maybe that Creep's the Most Hated Man on the Bus?

On the bus ride home, I had my big headphones on, so I couldn't quite hear the commotion, but I noticed a lady raise her arms like "what the fuck" and glare in the direction of the back of the bus. It looked like those pointed daggers emanating from her eyes were ripping right through a man with black mustache, trench coat, and private eye hat on. He wasn't paying any attention to her and I couldn't tell if it was a shameful avoidance or if he was just not involved in the young lady's angst. He did look like a creep, and I thought maybe he had done something creepy to her, because the lady said "why would you do that?" Still he wasn't responding to her. "You're the most hated man on this bus," she continued. Room opened up at the rear and I moved back to make room at the front. I drifted away from the odd, indistinct confrontation going on. But I thought about it a little more while I was at the back of the bus, only because it was so mysterious, and the young lady had a lot of anger in her at something, and I really was curious what the fuck that creepy, mustachioed, trench coated fellow had done to her. Then I thought maybe he had done nothing at all and the young lady was directing her distaste toward the rear exit. Maybe somebody had pushed the flappy doors when a stop wasn't requested and the doors released, causing the doors to beep an error and remain ajar, preventing the bus from resuming motion until fixed. This would cause a delay in motion. Now, I didn't see this happen, but it made sense in my head as a possibility for pissing this young lady off, because I have seen things like this happen before. An oblivious person pushes against the rear door when the green light above is not lit (meaning go ahead and push) delaying anxious commuters from getting home and eating supper and finally unwinding from a dulling day at the office. If this is the case, I can kind of understand her utterance of "you're the most hated man on this bus," because, well, I think I've thought that before in such a scenario. A motherfucker just wants to get home. And anyone getting in the way of said operation is a bit of an enemy. And that poor creep, for a second there I saw the worst in him.

A scene with Bluetooth Man

The following is a scene which took place on the corner of Cornelia/Broadway in Chicago.

A car parks at the side of the road. Two men and a young woman exit the car. The two men are both wearing Cubs hats. One of them is younger, he has a Bluetooth in his ear. The other is older, could be his father. A third man struggles to get out of the back seat. The Bluetooth Man goes to pay the parking meter. The older man paces in the quiet street. He might be slightly intoxicated. No traffic passes.

BLUETOOTH MAN: Jim! Get out of the road!

JIM: What?

BLUETOOTH MAN: You're stumbling in the road.

WOMAN: Do you want some money for parking?

BLUETOOTH MAN: No. I think I can afford three dollars.

The man in the backseat finally gets out. He limps. The woman helps him close the door.

BLUETOOTH MAN: Jim! Stop walking around in the road!

LIMPER: What's he doing?

BLUETOOTH MAN: He's stumbling around in the street! (Chuckles)

JIM: Oh well.

The Bluetooth Man places the parking slip in the window. All of them walk away from the car, j-walking at the lead of the Bluetooth Man.

I felt I had to write this. The demeanor of the Bluetooth Man was beyond douche bag. I hope that it is apparent in the behavior exchange above.

Quick Trip to End the Week

The other day on the bus the guy in front of me had wildly greasy hair, and I wondered, like the oils oozing from the leaves of plants, could a person have certain intoxicating properties layering the space between their mane? Much by accident if a single strand of hair were to trickle down into my coffee, and the oils dissolved into the cooling beverage, I may find out in an unsuspected trip.

Meanwhile to my right, Cabrini Green's last tenement is coming down, looking like a half assed swipe of a McVey bombing.

The bus driver is in a jolly good mood. He's whistling old TV theme songs; The Andy Griffith Show, The Twilight Zone...and moves in and out of others; Pink Panther and hits of the 80s and 90s.