August 31, 2005
There oughta be a law, part 2
I was riding home on the Brown Line last Friday. When I got on the train, it was not very crowded and I took a seat. As it circled around the Loop, the train soon became packed full of commuters and other people who ride the El.
Now, as most people know, there are always people complaining about rude customers on the train who don't get up to offer their seats to women, children, or old men. I have a conscience, and thus will get out of my seat if the train is crowded. (But not if there are seats available. I am not responsible if you don't want to sit next to a particular person.)
I have never met a person who openly espouses the "too bad so sad" mentality, but they must be around. I think I met my first one on Friday.
As I said, the train was full of people, and I was sitting there like a dufus. So at the next stop, I got out of the seat and stepped away from it. A split second later, another guy, approximately my age and none the worse for wear, took the seat, even though there were plenty of people right there who could have used the seat.
Now, sure, my getting up entitles him to take the seat. But I would think that in that situation, me getting out of the seat implies that I think a frail old lady should get the seat, not a strapping lad.
I was pretty close to saying, "You know, I didn't get out of the seat so YOU could have it," but I am a wuss and usually won't accost a person like that, even if they deserve it. Instead, I looked around at the other standees and made a "do you believe this dipshit?" look. Then I glared at him for the duration of my trip.
It's not as if it giving up seats is a rare activity. I see it all the time on the train. I'm simply a little confused that this guy would simply take my seat.
The question is, who is the more unreasonable one here? Me, who vacates a seat on a crowded train, ostensibly for the purpose of giving it to a fellow passenger who needs it more; or the other guy, who seeing a person abandon a seat, takes it for himself? Clearly I think the other guy deserves a kick in the groin, but I'll leave it up to you.
entry no. 261
Posted by oz115 at August 31, 2005 11:11 AM
Comments
Kick that mo fo in the GROIN
Posted by: christy at August 31, 2005 05:56 PM