Monday, April 4, 2011

Old Ladies Can Be Creepy Too

or She Was No Rosa Parks

The bus was crowded
I sat on the aisle near the front
careful to avoid eye-contact
did my best to pretend
I was somewhere else
head-phones in
eyes looking out the window

At Macdonald
an old woman got on the bus
moving slowly past the seats
reserved for the disabled and elderly
she pushed her way down the bus
stopping in front of me
I turned down my headphones

She had a clear-plastic rain bonnet
bright purple eye-shadow
red lipstick
spoke in a high pitched British accent
the type of voice you expect to issue
bewildered ‘Well I never’s

I listened to her explain
why she passed seats reserved for her
pointing to the sign
explained that she refuses
to sit in front of those signs

My inner-boy-scout began nagging me
in my polite annoyed voice
I told her she can have my seat
“So many nice young men in this city
you know, I often get offered a seat
but I don’t often get offered a lap.”