The way people act today simply baffles my mind. It seems to me like most of the people walking around in the world today think they are in their own private “bubble-world” that no one else exists in, unless they are cordially invited. It takes “self-centered” to a whole new level.
It is possible that I am a little crankier than normal today, as it was my day to fly up to Massachusetts to pick up the boy, and then drive the 2 1/2 hours back from the airport to pick up the girl, then drive home. Always a bad day. The only day that is worse (each and every month) is the day I have to do the drive to drop them off. Anyway, as I am making my way to Massachusetts and back, the examples of sheer obliviousness astounded me.
Exhibit A: I walked into an airport bathroom…you know, with the blind curve/corner entrance…and a lady was coming out at the same time. Now, customarily, you walk on the right side of a two way path, right? (she was not…maybe she was European?) Besides that insignificant f aux pa, generally when faced with someone, literally face to face almost colliding, you pause, step back, maybe spit out some “excuse me” or “sorry” under your breath and move on, no harm no foul. This was my reaction to the exit-er who was clearly on the wrong side of the entrance/exit. She, on the other hand, just continued to walk, just about through and completely oblivious to me
Exhibit B: As soon as the boy and I got settled into our seats, he had to use the potty. Of course. Anyone with a toddler expects this sort of thing to happen. Mind you, boarding is still going on, so I take him to the back of the plane to make it easy, he does his business, and we try to make our way back to our seats. TRY, I say. Now, if you saw someone, no coat, no bags, carrying a small child, moving opposite to the normal flow of traffic on an airplane, wouldn’t that stir something within you to maybe take an extra second to evaluate the situation? It would me. Apparently not the passengers of today’s flight. They just kept on trucking. As a matter of fact, I even had to get out of the way of a flight attendant who was merely browsing the aisle…no official flight attendant duties happening at that moment. I thought one woman was actually going to walk right through the boy and I, as she was clearly looking right past us to one of the 50 empty seats behind me that were obviously going to disappear into thin air if she didn’t get her old ass in them ASAP. I had to sweep up the boy before he was trampled, practically dive out of her way into one of the many empty seats she had already passed up, and tactfully, although probably a little loudly suggest that I wait here while she goes by as I only need to get to my seat which is coincidentally right behind her.
Exhibit C: On both flights, up and back, the passengers apparently were not properly briefed on deplaning etiquette. Generally when one is deplaning, one allows the rows to exit in order, front to back. Exceptions to this rule do exist, but generally, one at the very least allows the row ahead of one the opportunity to exit, or wait, at their own discretion. NOT TODAY! Again, I had to dive elbows out into the aisle just to get off the damn plane!
Exhibit D: And finally, on the bus to the parking garage. I will give it up for the young man who gave up his seat to a young mother with an infant carrier. Good on him. That said, another young woman was all but dragged off the bus with some exiting passengers trying to fight their way off, WHILE entering passenger were simultaneously attempting to board. 1. she shouldn’t have been standing in the doorway in the first place. 2. the boarding passengers clearly had read some sign that said the bus would only stop for a total of 30 seconds before driving away, no matter what, so they felt their need to board far outweighed anyone else’s need to get off, or logic for that matter. 3. the exiting passengers must not have noticed the poor woman with bleach blond hair and a bright red coat clinging to the “please hold on” bars so as not to take the 3 foot fall from the bus to the cement on their way out.
To all you “bubble-world” people out there….WAKE THE FUCK UP AND LOOK AROUND YOU SOMETIME. OTHER PEOPLE DO ACTUALLY EXIST AND ARE JUST AS (IF NOT MORE) IMPORTANT AS YOU.
