Stephanie Porto

Behavior

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

It may seem like nothing, but the other day I was taking the B54 bus back home and a rather curious incident happened that made me realize that people may have other things to worry about right now. I've been taking this bus for almost 9 years now and due to a steady decline in service and frequency, the passengers of my particular leg have always sported an edge. However the other day the bussed stopped to pick up a woman in a wheelchair. This usually illicits a collection of sighs and groans, but today nothing. Silence. As the woman went to get on she changed her mind and decided she wanted to get on through the back entrance. Still no reaction. As the bus driver made his way through the throng of passenger, everyone was still uncharacteristically silent and patient. As he finally got the ramp lowered, the retractable seat up, and her wheelchair safely oriented onto the lift the unthinkable happened - the woman stood up, jumped down from the ramp, grabbed the chair, threw it back on to the sidewalk, got back in, and wheeled away laughing maniacally. I expected an atomic bomb to explode. I winced, retracted my head into my shoulders and braced myself for a chorus of BURN THE WITCH. But it did not come. What did surprised me even more: laughter, a woman next to me remarking 'oh some people' and that was all, the crowd completely unphased. I think the man seated in front of me summed it up the best: "You just can't even say anything. It happened. Ain't nothing to do but keep moving." Ain't it the truth.