After my first two years of high school, I transferred from my town's public high school to The Met in Providence. My parents soon realized that dropping me off and picking me up every day wasn't going to work, therefore, I had to start taking public transportation. For the next two years, I took the bus to and from school every day and I'd be lying if I said it was an amazing experience. But hey, I'm not saying taking the bus is the worst thing in the world. Some days were great! Other days...err, not so much. Here are five public transportation experiences that I'll never forget.
1. My First Time Riding The Bus Alone.
The first time I took the bus by myself was a couple of weeks into my junior year. Keep in mind, this was the year I transferred to my new school and I wasn't that familiar with the area yet. I hopped on the bus and my mom followed it to Kennedy Plaza; She met up with me to make sure I got there alright and that I knew which bus to take to get to school. From there, she showed me which stop to wait at. We said goodbye, I walked over to the stop, and I made sure to get on the right bus. While on the bus, I started to panic because I realized, I had absolutely NO idea where to get off. We went by some buildings that looked familiar, but I wasn't sure. So I sat there, completely scared, staring out the window with wide eyes. My jaw dropped when the bus stopped completely at the airport. I shyly got out of my seat and walked up to the bus driver who gave me a confused look. I told him what had happened, that it was my first time taking the bus and that I didn't know where my school was. He just laughed, told me that he'd be going back that way and that he'd tell me where to get off. I was so embarrassed.
2. My Friend's "Elegant" Fall Onto an Old Lady's Lap.
One day I was getting on the bus with my friend when the bus jerked forward unexpectedly before we had the chance to sit down. I flew into an empty seat, while he...he flew right into an old lady's lap. He panicked and jumped up, apologizing. The old woman, though...she was not pleased. She started screaming and swearing at him, while he frantically apologized. The whole time, I sat there trying so hard not to laugh. I'll never forget the look on his face or the fact that I teased him about it for the rest of the year.
3. When I Learned That I'm Going Nowhere In Life, Apparently.
While waiting for the bus, this man approached me and started asking me about my hair. He wanted to know why it "wasn't normal", why I dye it the way I do. I shrugged and told him that my hair hasn't been my natural color for years and that I like it better that way. I thought that was the end of it. Unfortunately not. When the bus came, I got on and he sat near me. For most of the ride, he sat there and basically told me that I would never get a job or go anywhere in life if I didn't take my piercings out and dye my hair back to my natural color. I just sat there, eventually listening to music and completely blocking out his ignorance.
Note: Sadly, there are plenty of people in this world that will try to bring you down and make you regret your life choices. Ignore them. Your life is what YOU make of it, and for some reason, people tend to believe that it's their business to tell you that you're wrong for living your life the way you want and doing what makes you happy. Don't let them kill your passion or make you wan't to change who you are. It's YOUR life. You do you.
4. I Sat In Alcohol.
I don't know HOW it happened, or WHEN it happened, or even WHERE it happened...it just happened. I guess someone must have spilled alcohol all over a seat before I stupidly sat in it, and I don't even know if it was on the bus or at Kennedy Plaza. I didn't even notice it until I was walking to school and I felt something wet on my pants. It was winter, so I was wearing sweatpants over my jeans. As soon as I got to school, I took off the sweatpants, smelled them and sighed before throwing them in a plastic bag. Alcohol. I spent the whole rest of the day reeking of it. I have no idea how the teachers didn't notice.
5. Some People Just Cannot Take A Hint.
It all started one day when I was sitting near this guy who was chatting up some girls. They eventually got off and he looked over at me. "I'll move over here so it's easier for us to talk," he said, before moving to the seat next to me. He started talking to me, asking a bunch of random questions, and I was not having it. I kept giving him short responses, trying to give him the hint that I did NOT want to talk.
A couple days later, I get to the bus stop and he's there...oh, joy! So, I get on the bus and put my bag in the seat next to me, signaling that I didn't want him to sit there. He sat in front of me. I avoided eye contact the whole time. Taking the bus was my peaceful hour of listening to music and I was not going to let him ruin it again. However, while I looked out the window, I kept seeing his reflection, turning his head and looking back at me every couple minutes or so.
Another few days pass; I get to the bus stop and there he is again. Except this time, he's looking around frantically until he sees me, stops, and starts staring me down from afar. Creepy. Of course he sits behind me, and I can't tell if he's staring again, but I definitely feel like I'm being stared at. Halfway through the bus ride, I feel someone tap on my shoulder. I ignore it. I keep hearing him try to get my attention, and I keep ignoring him.
That was the last time I saw him, until the end of my senior year. He approached me and asked if my hair was green the last time he saw me, I nodded and walked away. This time I let him get on the bus first so I could make sure not to sit near him. I sat all the way in the back, thinking "thank god," until he did what I didn't see coming. Halfway through the bus ride, he turned around and looked at me before getting up and moving to a seat right across from me. I rolled my eyes, got up, and moved to the front of the bus. HA! That totally showed him! Thankfully, I haven't seen him since. Was he a creep? Or just some guy that wanted a friend? Or even a psychopath with a scrapbook filled with pictures of me? I'll never know, and I don't plan on finding out.
