Spend. Save. And, be abused!
Over the weekend the shooting on a Metro bus - while tragic - was no surprise!
After all, incidents involving ill-mannered bus drivers and disgruntled ticket-holders have been escalating in recent days.
Oftentimes, the Metro employees have been responsible for the blow-ups on the carriers because of their own bad manners, lack of patience, and poor people skills.
For example, one day when a homeless person slipped in the back door without paying his fare, the bus driver refused to budge one inch in traffic.
Instead of showing some compassion for the hapless soul, he was inclined to make everyone else suffer, too.
"Come up here and put your money in the box - otherwise - we'll just sit here until you do," he barked out, as the rest of the passengers groaned and protested in disgust.
Uh-huh!
That Metro driver had a stick up his butt, alright.
On another occasion, a passenger nearly came to blows with one of Metro's finest bench-warmers because he tried to speed by without picking him up at the designated stop.
If it were not for a light change at the corner, the nasty so-and-so would have simply roared by (chuckling under his breath no doubt).
Yup.
As fate would have it, he suffered a severe case of "instant karma" that day, instead.
The slovenly employee was forced to stop - at which point - the pedestrian demanded that he open up the door and grant him entrance to the # 4 bus servicing Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
"You weren't going to pick me up," the indignant local resident snapped at him, once he boarded the vessel.
"You were standing more than five feet from the pole," he snarled back, without skipping-a-beat.
"Just doin' my job."
I suppose that is why the bus was empty (during the 6:30 rush-hour) eh?
The jerk-off simply drove by everyone on the route who wasn't "hugging" the pole (and probably gave them the finger, too) as he cruised by towards Winchell's where he no doubt was planning to park and gobble down a doughnut or two (or three, judging by the gut , and rolls-of-fat on him).
In one shocking incident, an elderly lady was forced to struggle with a shopping cart at the front door because the driver was too lazy to lower the ramp or give any assistance.
I half-expected him to say: "That's not my job, lady!"
Finally, another passenger came to her rescue, no thanks to that bozo at the steering wheel!
A**hole!
They say there's a bad apple in every batch.
I have to wonder, are there any good ones in the lot on the Metro line?
In view of what I have witnessed on Metro buses - on the rare occasions when I board a bus to avoid driving in city traffic - I'd say it's a no-brainer as to why drivers are under attack.
No, that is not a banana in a passenger's pocket, just betcha.
Why?
Well, somehow, I seriously doubt that he or she is glad to see 'ya, bud!
Maybe one day they'll invent an automated bus along the lines of the well-functioning subway trains now in operation in Los Angeles currently.
If so, that will be the day to celebrate, eh?
Crowded buses cause tension in LA LA LAND!
