A Little Story

Sit down kiddies, and let me tell you a story. It’s about a time when men used to give their seats to a lady on a public bus or train. I know, I know, it sounds strange and you probably think that I’m lying, but no, I speak the truth.

In this world which is much like our own, if a lady stepped on public transportation, she would have various seats to choose from because every man on that mode of transportation was a gentleman.

But that was the past. Let’s fast forward to our own world. In particular, let’s fast forward to me, today on the 66 bus. While waiting for this bus, I observed my surroundings. What? I’m a city gal, that’s what we do. I noticed that there was an elderly gentleman waiting with me so when the bus came, I did what my mother taught me to do. I stepped back and waited for him to board because that’s what you do when you have manners. He stopped and looked me funny before giving me the signal to go before him. I’ll admit I was perplexed and I even hesitated, but his look told me that if I didn’t go first, I would have offended him. So I did. On the bus, there were only 2 seats left in the front. I stood so he could sit. It’s those manners again! While standing I felt a tug at my shirt. I turned to see him standing. He motioned for me to sit down. I tried to tell him no, but there it was again, the look.

This gentleman was well into his 60’s maybe older. As I sat there, I thought about the MANY times I was standing on the bus while younger men sat. I even remembered a time when I was sitting on a packed bus across from a guy who was in his 20’s like me. It was interesting because every time a woman got on the bus, he would close his eyes as if he were sleeping. Once she settled, he would open them again. I figured if he couldn’t see the woman looking for a place to sit, he wouldn’t feel obligated to stand up. I am not making this up. He wasn’t tired, he wasn’t drifting off to sleep and waking up. He was literally blinking for 40 seconds at a time.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some young men in their 20’s who will stand up for a lady, but those instances are so far and few that I often catch myself staring with my mouth opened. That shouldn’t the case! It should be a social norm! If you are a healthy bodied man sitting on a packed bus, what is so hard about rising when you see a woman standing? And please, don’t give me the feminist line because I have yet to meet a feminist who wouldn’t take a seat on a crowded bus because it was against her principles. If you know of women like this or if you are one, please reply to this blog, I need to converse with you because you are ruining it for the rest of us! :)

Before anyone tries to flip it on me, if I am sitting and I see an elderly person board the bus, I immediately get up! There’s no thought. I don’t care if I’m exhausted! What burns my grits is when I stand up to let an elderly person sit down and a young person sits in my seat. I’ll admit that both men and women have done this. My first reaction is to pull them up out of the seat so the elderly person can sit, but usually they realize their faux pas and jump up, but honestly…

If you are healthy and another healthy person gets out of their seat to stand, it is safe to assume that it’s NOT FOR YOU TO SIT!

Back to the topic. It would be easy for me to lump these gentlemen into one category and call them self-centered cavemen, but I can’t. I refuse actually.

Perhaps the MBTA has special powers that nullify their gentlemanly behaviors?

I don’t know boys and girls. What I do know is my interactions with older gentlemen in these situations show me that the days when men stood up to let women sit actually happened…

That it wasn’t a fantasy made up by romance novels with pictures of Fabio on the cover.

Until next time Faithful Five (and others...Though Harry, WHERE ARE YOU?!)!

Love, Peace, and Hair Grease!