I Hope She Got the Bus

 

I've written before about using public transportation to work and how it often makes me anxious.  (For reference:  https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2024/06/out-of-my-comfort-zonekindness-of.html).  I'm getting better, I think, in dealing with it.  I SHOULD, I've been doing it for years now.  And for the most part, I'm good.

I have noticed that there are more people on the bus recently and traffic is heavier.  Summer is definitely over and there are more students on the bus.  Of course I am also going in a little later, taking the 7:17 bus in the morning.  (The why is a whole other story which is not worth going into here.)  That's prime time for commuters and students.  While when I get on there usually aren't more than a handful of people, by the time I get off for the city light rail, the bus can be quite packed.  As a result, I still wear a mask.  Yes, it may be 5 years since the pandemic, but I've found that wearing a mask in tight and crowded spaces means less colds for me.  I don't mind sharing space; I'm not so keen on sharing germs.  (No matter what the germs may be.) 

The other day when I was coming home, once again the city light rail was packed.  I must be hitting Penn Station at peak time recently because when I go down to the station there have been LOTS of people waiting for the light rail to arrive.  And when it does, it is FULL. Usually I can get a seat, but it's no big deal if I don't as the light rail ride is about 10 minutes from Penn Station to my stop on Bloomfield Ave in Newark.  

Since the train was packed, I was wearing a mask.  I have to mention, that the masks that I wear were made by a friend who is a nurse.  She started during the pandemic and used lots of cute fabric patterns.  She made Disney themed ones, ones with flowers, ones with animals...well you get the idea.  Since I am somewhat obsessive about wearing "matching" or seasonal items, I bought a lot.  As we are officially in autumn, I tend to pick "autumnal" or Halloween themed masks.  I can't help it!  I'm not going to wear my shamrock mask in October or my wicked witch of the west mask in June!

Back to the topic at hand (was there one?), when I got off the light rail yesterday, I had about a 12 minute wait for my bus.  (Traffic had delayed it.)  I climbed the stairs to street level (where I would catch the bus) and was approached by a young woman who wanted to know where the bus station was. I don't think English was her first language, but I had no problem understanding her and showed her the stand.  She thanked me and told me she needed the 72 bus.  I looked at my transit app and told her that the bus would arrive in 15 or so minutes.

Not too long afterwards, a bus pulled up. It didn't have its number on it, but it did say where it was going.  There were a lot of people lined up to get on and I noticed that she was headed that way.  I called out to her and told her that it wasn't the one that she needed.  She thanked me and sat down on the bench.

Eventually my bus arrived.  Before I got on board, I checked the app again.  The bus she was waiting for would be there in 5 or so minutes.  I made sure to tell her that her bus should be the next one arriving and that is should say 72.

I got on the bus and that was that.  But I hope her bus came quickly.  I hope she got on it and got to her final destination without any problem.  

I write about this today not to make myself out to as a "good person" for helping someone, but as a reminder that we all need a little help/guidance at some point in our lives.  It is a brave and wise person that asks.  And I want to be the kind of person who can help with caring and compassion.  

At various times in our lives we are both people.  Be brave and ask when you need to.  When asked, be kind.  It's what we, as inhabitants of this planet, should be.