I'm back to working full time — a five week stint at BC Hydro in Burnaby. It's a mindless job, but a union wage, so who can complain? In the evenings I'm trying to keep up with a couple of paid writing projects, but the ones i really am excited about (the unpaid ones), those are being put on hold.
On the topic of money and in light of the current $1.25/litre gas scandal, I recently did some calculations:
tank of gas/week $60x5 = $300
parking/day $3x25 = $75
TOTAL: $375 (ie. half a week's pay for a month of transportation and that's not even including insurance, which Dean pays for)
Meanwhile, a 2 zone monthly bus pass is $95. Unlimited travel for under a hundred bucks and it's a tax write off! The smarter option is clear.
So I was sitting on the skytrain yesterday and a girl boards the car—a typical Vancouver girl: black Lulu pants, freshly darkened hair accentuated by her salon tan, high pony and headband. Harmless enough. She sits beside me and in a manner of seconds I feel her leg pressed up against mine. On a busy day, this is overlooked, but in a half empty car it made me uncomfortable.
I shift my legs closer together.
Moments later, her bony knee has inched its way over to mine again.
I further close the space between my own legs and angle them the opposite direction, but sure enough she further splays hers!
Surely this is violating some sort of unwritten transit code? Can I have some support here? Even big jock guys usually have the decency to keep their limbs out of your leg space.
So what did I do? I pushed back. Bit by bit I widened my own stature, far beyond what is normal or comfortable for me, but just until those stretch-cotton clad legs were back in their alotted space and their owner was perplexed. I felt like a passive aggressive yet smug school child.
She gave me a dirty look and got off the train at the next stop. I guess I had made myself clear ;)
SFGirl Says Farewell.
2 years ago
6 comments:
There are definitely rules about seats on the bus... it would drive me crazy when there were loads of free seats and someone sits right beside you and squishes you in...
I learned that concentrating on the mantra "I don't want you to sit beside me" while people get on the bus can be helpful... also helpful are acting like you're getting something out of your bag on the seat beside you, pretending you're sleeping, opening up a magazine or paper to take up lots of space, or (in severe emergencies) pretending you're talking to an invisible person (because people don't like sitting beside people who talk to themselves).
It's an art form, bus riding is. After four years I consider myself a seasoned bus rider, and I feel like Matt's got the right idea. Also, try leaving the window seat empty and sitting in the aisle seat instead. Then Miss Lululemon Creepypants will have to do some sort of warrior pose to get over you.
I think I like living in Parksville!
hahaha...i would have said, "can you please move out of my space?" blunt and clear...yet still polite...in my point of view. oh the good old transit days. nina ;)
If it were a dude, I'd say he was leg flirting!
Funny story!!! On a totally unrelated note..Jamie and I are thinking of renting or buying in Vancouver (on a budget). Are you and Dean living there? Any tips on good areas to live?
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