POP ME UP A TRANSFER - PART 2

Mr. "pop me up a transfer" got on my bus a week later. Same 12B...bus goes to the same place it did before. He was annoying other customers for a while. One guy even got up and moved to the peanut seat (next to the front door). He looked at me as if to say "what's up with that guy?". I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and shook my head.

The jerk proceeded to move to the seat next to the peanut seat guy. Then he asked me "So, ya gonna pop me up a transfer?" I said "No, sir. I'm not." He said "I think we've been through this before." I replied "Yes, we have. So you already know this is a 12B and I don't go to the apartments." He kept being annoying and I was doing my best to just ignore him. I was tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. Then he got sarcastic. "Ooooooo, stressful. What a stressful job you have. Just sooooo stressful!" I said "No, not at all. 99 out of 100 people on this bus are great! The other 1....well, I know what kind of person I'm dealing with. I choose not to let their issues become mine. Life is good." He didn't seem to like that so he switched seats.

I couldn't help but notice, as he was exiting my bus later and mumbling something at me...he got off on 9th! That's where all the bars are! Coincidence? I think not. It explains everything. He was angry because I wouldn't give him a transfer so he'd have another 2 and a half hours to get his drink on. Alcoholics get angry when you mess with their drinking!

I couldn't wait. The first chance I got, I told my manager about this latest situation. I was GLAD I didn't give him a transfer the first time! He was just playing me for extra time. He knew all along that the 12B didn't go to the apartments. What a jerk!

POP ME UP A TRANSFER!

I had just gotten to downtown Hopkins on the 12B. That's where it ends. I parked the bus and noticed there was a guy that didn't seem to know we were at the end of the line. I got up to do my lost and found/security check and asked him "Did you miss your stop?" He instantly got rude and aggressive. He said "You're supposed to go down by Smetana, down by the apartments!" I kept my composure and informed him I was the 12B. This bus didn't go there. He yelled at me, saying I didn't know what I was doing and I must be new here. I tried to explain to him that this was the 12B and it shows on the maps, that are in the free schedules, that this is where it goes. He remained aggressive said "don't be a smart aleck!" and demanded "Pop me up a transfer!"

I was done. I got serious and stern and said "First of all, sir, I don't appreciate how your talking to me. I've done nothing wrong. You paid your fare and I gave you a ride to where my sign says I go. If I had had the wrong sign on or taken a wrong turn or done something wrong and you ended up in the wrong place, yes, I would give you a transfer. I don't owe you anything and the way you are treating me...no, I am not giving you anything."

He stormed off the bus. After only a few steps, he turned around and came back. As he stomped up the steps he demanded "Take me back down to 11th!" I just sat there and flipped through the newspaper as though I didn't hear him. What a jerk. I still had about 5 minutes on my layover so I couldn't bring him down there if I wanted to, which I didn't. I was secretly wishing I went back a whole different way.

It kind of bothered me later. Normally, if someone had gotten on my bus and later realized it was the wrong one and their transfer was running out, I would have given them a transfer so they could get where they were going. This guy was just so rude and aggressive with me, I didn't really care if he ever got where he was going. They say to "be the bigger person" and I usually am pretty good at doing that. This time was just different. He was treating me like dirt. I even told this story to my manager, admitting I had a pretty bad customer service moment. Little did I know then, this guy would get on again, on my 12B, and try it again! See next blog....

THE MORNING LOOK

I was recently driving the route 9 down Glenwood avenue. I was in the area where the projects used to be before they finally bulldozed them. There was a "lady" walking down the street. I think she was a leftover from the projects. She was wearing pajama pants, a dingy white t-shirt with no bra. Her girls were swinging left to right with every step she took. She had on...you guessed it..fuzzy slippers. Her hair was all matted and there were stray chunks sticking straight out. She looked like she just got out of bed, yet she was out walking on a city street.

Then it dawned on me...she's looking for a man! What better look to have than your morning look?!!? That way, when he wakes up next to her, he already knows the terror he will be seeing. It's not a shock. What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that? I spend all that time getting ready to go out into the public when I could just jump out of bed and go.

I think we should all start a new trend. Come as you are. Embrace your morning look!