The Bus Driver From Hell
Dec. 10th, 2003 12:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jamesqOriginally posted this on a friend's live journal in response to missing-the-bus-and-it's-the-driver's-fault stories. This was one of the first time I had ever asserted myself when I was wronged.
When I was a student in university, lo those many years ago, there was this asshole driver on route 20. The bus I took home. He'd piss me off in petty little ways that make you look like the petty one if you actually pointed them out. He wouldn't pull up to the curve, or he'd slam the door shut so quick it almost caught my ass. Generally he'd sneer and give a little "harumph" when I got on the bus.
To this day, I have no idea why - I certainly didn't do anything to deserve it. It was typically late at night and I was alone, so I didn't jack around on the bus or put my feet on the seats. All I can think of is, it was the last leg of the route before the bus went out of service, and he was anxious to get home. Stopping to pick me up at an out-of-the-way stop wrecked his drive back to the bus barns.
Anyway, one day I'm standing there, under a street lamp, at the stop. The bus blows past me. I run after it yelling and waving both hands over my head. No use, I've missed it, and I had to take a cab home (it was the last route 20 of the night).
Next night, I'm out there five minutes early, waiting and grinding my teeth, prepared to tear him a new one.
I see him coming and I step out into the street, again waving both hands over my head - this time in front of the bus rather than behind (as an aside, I wasn't actually blocking traffic or anything - I was pissed off, not stupid).
He blows by again. There can be no doubt this time - it was deliberate.
So I sprinted across campus. For those who care, I was at the bus stop just northeast of Engineering and the other stop was just south of the Library tower. The bus took a long loop around campus while I cut straight through.
Now this was before I started jogging, when the most exercise I got was lifting the slurpee to my mouth. In short, I was a blimp. Still I sprinted, risking death via an early heart attack.
And I just made it. He was pulling away from the south campus stop and I literally ran out in front of his bus so that he couldn't proceed. He let me on, beginning to say something about how I shouldn't run in front of buses when I lost my temper and cut him off mid sentence.
I was red-faced. Sweat was pouring off me from my exertion and I was panting from being winded. I was shaking with rage. Anyone who saw me would have justifiably feared for their life.
After that he was ok, though he would never meet my eyes when I boarded the bus. I graduated about a month later so he didn't have a chance to relapse, I never saw him again. But I would remember him if I did.
When I was a student in university, lo those many years ago, there was this asshole driver on route 20. The bus I took home. He'd piss me off in petty little ways that make you look like the petty one if you actually pointed them out. He wouldn't pull up to the curve, or he'd slam the door shut so quick it almost caught my ass. Generally he'd sneer and give a little "harumph" when I got on the bus.
To this day, I have no idea why - I certainly didn't do anything to deserve it. It was typically late at night and I was alone, so I didn't jack around on the bus or put my feet on the seats. All I can think of is, it was the last leg of the route before the bus went out of service, and he was anxious to get home. Stopping to pick me up at an out-of-the-way stop wrecked his drive back to the bus barns.
Anyway, one day I'm standing there, under a street lamp, at the stop. The bus blows past me. I run after it yelling and waving both hands over my head. No use, I've missed it, and I had to take a cab home (it was the last route 20 of the night).
Next night, I'm out there five minutes early, waiting and grinding my teeth, prepared to tear him a new one.
I see him coming and I step out into the street, again waving both hands over my head - this time in front of the bus rather than behind (as an aside, I wasn't actually blocking traffic or anything - I was pissed off, not stupid).
He blows by again. There can be no doubt this time - it was deliberate.
So I sprinted across campus. For those who care, I was at the bus stop just northeast of Engineering and the other stop was just south of the Library tower. The bus took a long loop around campus while I cut straight through.
Now this was before I started jogging, when the most exercise I got was lifting the slurpee to my mouth. In short, I was a blimp. Still I sprinted, risking death via an early heart attack.
And I just made it. He was pulling away from the south campus stop and I literally ran out in front of his bus so that he couldn't proceed. He let me on, beginning to say something about how I shouldn't run in front of buses when I lost my temper and cut him off mid sentence.
I was red-faced. Sweat was pouring off me from my exertion and I was panting from being winded. I was shaking with rage. Anyone who saw me would have justifiably feared for their life.
With that I stomped off to the back of the bus and spent the next half hour trying to catch my breath.
"I just ran all the way across campus because you ignored me at the north stop."
"I didn't see you."
"DONT LIE TO ME. I don't care why you don't like me, but I draw the line at you leaving me at the stop, so NOW HEAR THIS, you will treat me with respect, you will pull up to the curve if I'm at a stop, you WILL NOT slam the door on me and YOU. WILL. NEVER. IGNORE. ME. AGAIN... DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
"I didn't see you."
"I ASKED IF YOU UNDERSTOOD ME"
"yes, I understand"
"GOOD."
After that he was ok, though he would never meet my eyes when I boarded the bus. I graduated about a month later so he didn't have a chance to relapse, I never saw him again. But I would remember him if I did.
