On the bus back from Bethnal Green, I decided to stand instead of removing my rucksack. I watched a middle aged woman harass a man in the front seats because he wouldn't move over to free up what was a free inside seat for her. My friend S was putting her things in the rack by the door, so after everyone got on, I walked back to meet her. The man in the seat tried to tell me that I could sit next to him if I wanted. He was clearly drunk.
I told him that I was going to stand because it was too difficult to remove my bag. So S and I chatted until her stop. She got off. I stayed standing. Drunk man got up and I thought he was getting off. But no, he pressed past me and my large bag to talk to the driver.
"Is this bus going to Putney? I need to go to Putney." which came out something like "isssbusss ney? Immmmaaa goinna P'ney" Needless to say the bus driver didn't really understand him. It probably didn't help matters that she was obviously not native and her English wasn't so clear either.
"This bus is going to Stamford Hill and Holloway" she tried to tell him. After about five rounds of this he sort of understood.
"But I need to go to Putney. Will you take me there? Can I stay on?" Here was actually the crux of the matter. He was just a sad drunk who wanted to spin around London on a bus for lack of anything better to do or a place to go. He then proceeded to stand in the front holding onto the rail next to the driver trying to make small talk.
I could tell she wasn't impressed. She tried to get him to stand back but he wouldn't. He asked her how late she was working and if he could take her out dancing afterwards.
Sad, isn't it?
2 comments:
Maybe he just gets onto buses and hits on the female drivers. He might have had some success in the past; who knows?
I'd totally do that if I wasn't in full-time education.
---X
Dude, you so wouldn't, he smelled. ;)
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