More Public Transit Antics

A couple of years ago, I was transferring from a CTA bus to the subway. I was walking down the aisle of the bus, but there was a man tending to his little kid in a stroller and he was blocking most of the aisle. I brushed past him in order to get off the bus. I didn't bump him, I brushed him.

As I did so, I heard him exclaim in a loud voice, "Scuse me!!" I didn't acknowledge him since I've learned that ignoring angry people is usually the best plan of action on public transit.

As I was walking to the street corner to cross, I heard him behind me, "Hey bud! Don't you have any manners? Hey!"

I was now in a crowd waiting to cross the street and into the subway station. I still ignored him, but he didn't give it up. "Hey bud! You bumped into me!"

I was thinking to myself that so far, I've not acknowledged him at all. I could just pretend to be hearing-impaired.

Just as I was thinking that, he was jabbing me on my shoulder. I wheeled around with a startled, perplexed look on my face and signed to him in frantic hand motions that I was deaf.

He just stood there kind of dumbfounded, knowing that he couldn't say anything more to me.

I scampered into the subway, silently congratulating myself for some quick thinking.

What a jerk.