You Get What You Pay For

Again with my "old people ride free "card in hand I boarded the #66 bus to the Blue Line. At the next stop a woman with white hair and carrying a book boarded and announced loudly " I had colon surgery a month ago, so I'm sitting in the handicapped seat." She was commenting to anyone who would listen about a number of topics. I used my no eye contact defense. At the next stop a gentleman in a wheelchair boarded and the riders on one of the benches quickly gave up their seats to accomodate him. Two stops later a young woman with a baby in a stroller boarded - which should have required the loud lady to give up her seat. Instead she shouted, "There's no room on this bus for that baby." Oh boy - the young woman then called her a stupid b**ch. Loud lady replied, "I'm not stupid, I have an IQ of 130." Role model mommy came back with - "then you're just an old b**ch!" To which loud lady responded with "I'm not that old - I'm only 58." Perfect opening for role model mom to point at the sign and shout "then get out of the f***in seat reserved for elderly people." Loud lady's "f*** off!" resulted in role model mom shoving the baby carriage into loud lady's knee -at which point loud lady started kicking role model mom AND the baby carriage. Others starting chiming in on both sides. I switched from no eye contact to move to the rear entrance of the bus defense. The gentle bus driver, pulled over and moved in to arbitrate and admonish both parties. We got to the Blue Line about 20 minutes late and grateful that the ride was over.

Role model mom and her baby, boyfriend and a couple of friends followed me into the car and never shut up about the incident all the way to Rosemont. I have no idea exactly what they were saying because he normal looking couple sitting behind me turned out to be a woman and her father who were loudly reliving the details of the woman's divorce hearing that they had just attended. ALL THE WAY TO ROSEMONT.

Fast forward to the return trip on the Blue Line. At about Montrose our car was filled with the smell of something burning. Sure enough there was a small fire on the outside of the car - just near the door. We high tailed it onto the platform where we herded ourselves into the more forward cars. After a 10 minute delay we were on our way downtown - and as an added bonus, the train ran express to Logan Square- making up for lost time. I got home on the #66 with no incident and boarded a #146 to my meeting at the Harold Washington library. At the next stop two slobbering, foul-mouthed drunks who staggered on gave a running commentary ALL THE WAY TO STATE AND LAKE.

Returning home from the library I was grateful for the relative quiet of only cell phones and texting.

No kidding - all this in one day on the CTA - I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Thanks, again Blago.