I decide to take a bus to the lower east side.
It's a long bus ride but I wear my N95 and feel protected.
Even still, I'm not comfortable seeing two women in the back who are using the bus as a traveling restaurant. And one appears to be an essential worker; she should know better.
But it's the bus ride home that turns nasty.
I see this guy, talking loudly on his phone.
Across the aisle from him is a policeman.
"Officer," I say. "Shouldn't he be wearing a mask? I mean, it is the law."
He responds, "He has one on."
So I point out the obvious, "Yes, but it's around his chin."
The policeman than — almost apologetically — says to the guy, "Hey, this lady (and points to me) wants you to put your mask on."
The helpful officer exits at the next stop and the passenger's mask comes right off.
Soon after, this woman and her child get on the bus. I'm blurring their faces and tattoos for reasons that will soon become obvious.
I ask the woman to put her mask on. She ignores me. I take her picture.
"Hey, bitch," she says in high volume. "Did you just take my picture?"
"No, " I lie.
"Well if you did, I'll come and break your f*c*ing phone."
I am sending the picture to Alexander when suddenly she grabs the phone out of my hands and throws it across the floor of the bus.
Then she starts screaming, "This bitch just took my f*c*king picture."
Now that first dude joins on. "She's crazy (meaning me), man. She should be arrested. But you can be sure that even if she is she'll get off."
For the record, I've committed no crime... taking someone's photo without their permission is not illegal. Stupid, maybe, but not illegal.
I grab my phone off the floor, while the two of them are screaming about me.
Then some riders try to calm the woman down. She has no interest in being calmed down.
I say nothing throughout this shouting session.
The bus stops and I get off, fearful she might follow me. She doesn't.
I am fine but shaken and call my son.
I get zero sympathy.
"Are you crazy?" he asks.
"First of all, you should treat everyone on the bus as if they all have COVID. You definitely don't want to do anything to provoke them. And what do you think is going to happen? They'll appreciate your telling them to put their mask on? You think they don't know? THEY DON'T CARE!"
He's right.
Four good lessons learned:
- Don't tell anyone to put a mask on. Just move.
- Some people don't care what's right for the public good, and who am I to convince them otherwise?
- Avoid public transportation.
- And don't expect help from the police when it comes to COVID-19.
Plus one more:
This mother can still get great advice from her young and sometimes-wise 27-year old son!
Did you use a 'wide angle lens'? That's one big body woman.
ReplyDeleteLyn wise up, stay away from people on the bus and subway.
They are not happy to to there and it's hot. Her actions are
unlike most of my black friends, once again it's the public transport crowed.
You are so brave...more than I would ever be. And I really do admire you for that, i.e. trying hard to do the right thing. I have wanted to do what you have done, but have not been as courageous. I think you should feel very good for doing what benefits others. You care. You don't take the easy way out. You are doing good things!!! And you care about doing right for the public good. So...feel good about who you are and what you do.
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness to the lunch eating health care worker, it may have been the only chance she had to eat after working (maybe with involuntary overtime—yes it’s a thing) and rushing home to deal with kids, taking care of parent, etc. As long as it’s not my food she’s breathing on. In general, I’m only brave enough to glare at people from a distance.
ReplyDelete