Today this guy shoved past me so he could get his bag in the luggage compartment of the bus before I did. Space was running out, and he wanted to make sure he got there first. I caught the eye of a woman standing nearby and her facial expression was one of disbelief at such a blatant display of rudeness.
But then I sat behind him and his family on the way to the airport and was able to change my feelings towards him when I saw him lovingly kissing his baby daughter with her big dark eyes like a Japanese anime cartoon and her pierced ears and a ribbon in her short hair. She smiled over her dad's shoulder at me as I waved at her and made funny faces. When we got up to disembark, her dad took her arm and waved goodbye to me.
And then I missed my flight, due to my own stupidity and inattention. I stopped to talk to a couple I had met a few days earlier on a scuba diving trip and when I looked up, the stairs had been pulled away from the aircraft and no amount of begging or pleading was going to get me on that plane.
I got back on the bus, and wouldn't you know it, the only empty seat was next to that same knuckle-head. But instead of sliding over to the window seat so I didn't have to climb over him with my carry on bag, he just sat there, barricading the only seat on the bus. I asked him with all the politeness I could muster to move over and he heaved a heavy, disgruntled sigh as he reluctantly moved 18 inches to his left.
Just then a woman boarded the bus with a bunch of boxes and was standing in the aisle next to me, so I got up and offered her my seat which accomplished two things...one was that she was able to sit down and the other was that I was able to get away from my nemesis, since I was already full of bile at having missed my flight.
Just then a woman boarded the bus with a bunch of boxes and was standing in the aisle next to me, so I got up and offered her my seat which accomplished two things...one was that she was able to sit down and the other was that I was able to get away from my nemesis, since I was already full of bile at having missed my flight.In retrospect I was able to generate some warm feelings towards him since he had to say goodbye to his wife and daughter today...who knows for how long....but sometimes I wish my internal reactions weren't so negative and so strong.
Meanwhile, my baggage is going round and round on the carousel in Guayaquil, Ecuador. And there are much worse places to be stuck for an extra night than the Galapagos Islands.
Footnote: On the ferry this morning on the way back to the airport I witnessed some appalling behavior from a guy who refused to move over to allow more passengers to sit on the bench beside him. Everyone on board was rolling their eyes, as he argued with the captain in a loud American accent, further cementing U.S. foreign relations. As if the members of the security detail who came to South America to guard President Obama getting caught with hookers in their rooms earlier this week wasn't enough.
When we reached the other side, he leapt from his seat and said "GO, GO, GO!" to his travel companion, barging through the crowd so he could get the first seat on the bus. Whatever compassion I felt yesterday was gone. I wanted to head butt him.
Meanwhile, my baggage is going round and round on the carousel in Guayaquil, Ecuador. And there are much worse places to be stuck for an extra night than the Galapagos Islands.
Footnote: On the ferry this morning on the way back to the airport I witnessed some appalling behavior from a guy who refused to move over to allow more passengers to sit on the bench beside him. Everyone on board was rolling their eyes, as he argued with the captain in a loud American accent, further cementing U.S. foreign relations. As if the members of the security detail who came to South America to guard President Obama getting caught with hookers in their rooms earlier this week wasn't enough.
When we reached the other side, he leapt from his seat and said "GO, GO, GO!" to his travel companion, barging through the crowd so he could get the first seat on the bus. Whatever compassion I felt yesterday was gone. I wanted to head butt him.
Great post, John. I have to admit, I am that guy(in my own way) sometimes as I am way too much in my own head and not present in the situation at hand. It leads to awkward not opening doors and offering seats for people and probably comes off as intentionally rude, when it's mostly obliviousness.
ReplyDeleteI think the key is to realize that 95% of the time, the behavior of others has nothing to do with you. It's not personal. But we still take it that way.
And I LOVE that Virgin sign. Man, I wish all companies had the guts to do creative marketing like that.
Best,
Matt