A Little Courtesy Please

I have to start this blog by saying that I love taking the Express bus to and from work. The seats are cushioned, the people are nice and quiet, the schedule is predictable, and the ride is smooth and efficient. That many nice things cannot be said for the subway and regular city buses. But, sometimes the drivers are not very courteous.

Before I was pregnant, I didn't care that they started driving to the next stop while I was walking to my seat. Now, I do care. I have a fear of falling and hurting my baby, and when the bus is moving and I'm still trying to get into a seat, I'm a little concerned. Thankfully, I haven't fallen, but I was a witness to someone else's fall recently, and I hope it served as a wake up call to the driver.

The victim was a sweet little elderly woman with a cane. The fact that she was walking with a cane should have been enough to alert the driver that she had problems walking. Plus, her daughter, who was not riding the bus, helped her up the steps of the bus. I decided to let her on before me because I knew she needed more time to find a seat. After I got on, I was right behind her and the bus started moving. The nearest available seat was still a few rows away, and she continued walking. Next thing I knew, she fell. It was one of those slow motion things. I felt so bad for her.

The bus driver was oblivious to the situation. I had to tell him to stop the bus because she fell and needed help up. Two kind passengers helped her into a seat once they saw how pregnant and useless I was in that particular situation. I then told the driver that he should have waited until she found a seat before driving off, and several other passengers echoed the sentiment. He told us that someone at the front should have given up their seat. Way to pass the blame! He could have asked someone to please give up their seat, or he could have simply waited for her to sit down.

Sometimes a little courtesy goes a long way.