Passenger Problems

On the way back home for my semester break, I found myself in a ramshackle bus with smelly interiors and rowdy passengers who even spoke on their phones for the whole bus to benefit from their conversation. That’s what I get for not pre-booking the ticket.

But all this was alright, even the fact that I reached home after five hours instead of the usual four. But the thing that almost broke my calm demeanour was this one passenger. This one passenger who got under everyone’s skin and almost got hammered, but for the legendary lazy siesta time that my state is famous for. It might be unbelievable but the only reason that passenger didn't get a slap or two for his attitude was because nobody wanted to take the trouble to go hit him. Now, as to what made him so hated in the bus. This man, who was travelling with his wife and teenage son, kept talking loudly to both of them despite the fact that the rest of the passengers were watching the movie being screened. He then screamed at the conductor of the bus to reduce the volume of the film since it was disturbing him. He then proceeded to shout obscenities at a co-passenger who happened to oppose his view of the volume. Wow! How self-centred can one be? Agreed that the journey was not very comfortable and that the movies weren't exactly the better part of Hindi cinema but that doesn't mean one can just look past everyone else’s problems and think no end of oneself.

It is not often that one meets such people that are so selfish that they cannot look past their own comfort. But there are always those who are not ready to compromise or let go. Those, who cannot bear to be in a problem out of which they cannot escape. They will go to any lengths to save themselves, even if that entails climbing over others in order to do so. People in similar predicaments mean nothing to them as long as they have an easy way out. They will only help others if it furthers their own ends, albeit grudgingly.

There is only one way to deal with these people and that is to wait and watch. I believe that time and karma will play their part eventually and what has gone around will one day come back around and bite them on their gluteus maximus.

Till then, just put up your legs, lie back, listen to their skewed opinions of the world and chuckle to yourself.