Quote of the Day: Thomas Mann

"Nothing is stranger, more delicate, than the relationship between people who know each other only by sight - who encounter and observe each other daily, even hourly, and yet are compelled by the constraint of convention or by their own temperament to keep up the pretence of being indifferent strangers, neither greeting nor speaking to each other. Between them is uneasiness and overstimulated curiosity, the nervous excitement of an unsatisfied, unnaturally suppressed need to know and to communicate; and above all, too, a kind of strained respect. For man loves and respects his fellow man for as long as he is not yet in a position to evaluate him, and desire is born of defective knowledge."


While, I can't say that I love all my fellow bus passengers they have become more interesting in the past few weeks. I am not sure why but my afternoon bus has become full of gangsters, druggies, homeless people, and general ne'er-do-wells. These people can be very loud and a little intimidating so they make the bus feel very full even if it's not. I have also learned that some of them do not have the same concept of personal space that I do. For instance, I do not think it's appropriate to grab strangers no matter how much your intoxicated state demands that you grab onto something to stop your maniacal swaying.

Yesterday, one of those guys almost ran into me but luckily he ran into the rail by the door first. I have not seen someone that high for a long time. He was higher than a kite on the space shuttle. So anyway, he swayed there for a minute before falling down to his knees and mumbling obscenities. He then proceeded to empty the contents of his pockets out onto the floor. They included a coupple vials of prescription drugs, a very used Kleenex, some cigarettes, a baggie full of white powder, and a homemade crack pipe. I did have to admire the ingenuity he demonstrated by being so creative with nothing more than common household items and electrical tape. He stayed there on his knees until we came to the next stop. He had trouble getting off because he kept dropping his stuff. He held up traffic for quite a while until a young thug kicked him out of the way.

People like that and the woman who has a new boyfriend everyday that she likes to tell stories to in a very loud voice that usually involve getting high, sleeping with people, and using the N-word very loudly make me appreciate my iPod, or my escapepod as I call it, even more.


PS
Although, after being hit by a car yesterday, maybe I should be grateful for the bus because at least no cars can get me there.