Another Elderly Mishap

This is a conversation with a young woman who asked for some 'Bus Wisdom' advice from a bus support group. It went like this:

(W= Woman, G = Group)


W - "I need advice"

G - “you need advice”

W - "I need help"

G - “Okay, we’re all here”

W - "I don’t know if anyone here rides the L sometimes. 'the L train' Well for some yanno I think there’s some ethnic tensions yanno and that’s a very serious situation but for some reason, not once, not twice but THREE times I’ve had to break up senior citizens getting into it on the bus and I just don’t know what to do with them. I’m sorry but I’m not the kind of person who can stand by and watch a 70 year old woman try an clock a like a 60 year old guy. I find it upsetting. So if anyone has some inside words of wisdom – I know I should step back and just let them duke it out on the L and --- - it happens a lot on Saturdays. …"

G - “Are they fighting over seats? what are they fighting over?”

W - “They’re fighting over, ‘you didn’t move over an inch for that woman to get off. You’re horrible you’re innately evil’ and yelling at them. It gets a little ugly”

G - “And do you just break it up or do you swoop in with some words of wisdom?”

W - “I say you’re too old to be doing this”

G - “And does this stress you, out? Or do you enjoy it a little bit?”

W - “I enjoy it.. I, I”

G - “Okay then, I think… you know what I think? I think you’re doing a damn good job.”

- Anonymous - SF, CA.