A View of a Bridge
Here are some pictures from my trip to San Francisco. San Francisco is a beautiful city! These pictures are from a good view point by the bridge.
I met a man from San Francisco on the bus today. This is how it happened.
An angry man with a sneer came onto the bus and saw it was overflowing with people. He was not happy because he wanted to sit down. There was a young man, probably still a teenager, who had two suitcases taking up seats. The young man was the shy, timid type. He was wearing a helmet but did not have a bicycle. Sneering man said "Seriously!? You are taking up three seats. Move your stuff!"...or he said something along these lines in an angry tone. The poor kid tries to move his luggage to make way for the overbearing yeller. I heard a woman sitting near him say "Don't yell at him!" This made sneering man angry. He turned his anger toward this good samaritan. "I'm not yelling at him. How about you don't yell at me. He is taking up three seats and I seriously doubt he paid for three seats." He says all this in a condescending and irritated manner. The poor luggage kid stays mute and tries to shrink away.
Of course no one likes to get on a full bus to see two seats occupied by suitcases. It is a frustrating situation, but even justified frustration doesn't give a person permission to be aggressive and rude.
After the luggage kid got off the bus, sneering man decided to confront the woman who stood up for the kid. Sneering man angerly said "I don't know why you are against me. He was taking up three seats."
The woman kindly explained that it was his approach. He could have conveyed the same message in a kinder manner. The sneering man continued to belligerently argue. The brave woman had enough of this guy. She said "You yelled at a poor kid wearing a helmet. You are a douche!" It was awesome! The guy was being a total jerk, and it was brave of this woman to not only stand up for the kid, but to tell the guy straight to his face that he was acting inappropriately. We need more brave women like this lady who will stand up against self righteous bullies.
The brave woman then ignored the man and turned to talk to her friend. THe sneering man stood up and loomed over them. He looked at the two women as they talked and he creepily laughed. Then, finally he got off. We should have all cheered but the only true brave one on the bus was the brave woman.
At this point, the man next to me turned to me and said "That guy was a real jerk!" He and I got to talking about the uselessness of living a life ruled by anger and it eventually came out we were both from the same area of Northern California: The Bay Area!
I only get to visit the Bay Area and San Francisco every once in a while, but whenever I do, I have a blast. Even though I lived in the bay area for over a decade, I don't think I've been to the view point where I took the above pictures before. Cities are great this way...full of surprises and new excitement.
I met a man from San Francisco on the bus today. This is how it happened.
An angry man with a sneer came onto the bus and saw it was overflowing with people. He was not happy because he wanted to sit down. There was a young man, probably still a teenager, who had two suitcases taking up seats. The young man was the shy, timid type. He was wearing a helmet but did not have a bicycle. Sneering man said "Seriously!? You are taking up three seats. Move your stuff!"...or he said something along these lines in an angry tone. The poor kid tries to move his luggage to make way for the overbearing yeller. I heard a woman sitting near him say "Don't yell at him!" This made sneering man angry. He turned his anger toward this good samaritan. "I'm not yelling at him. How about you don't yell at me. He is taking up three seats and I seriously doubt he paid for three seats." He says all this in a condescending and irritated manner. The poor luggage kid stays mute and tries to shrink away.
Of course no one likes to get on a full bus to see two seats occupied by suitcases. It is a frustrating situation, but even justified frustration doesn't give a person permission to be aggressive and rude.
After the luggage kid got off the bus, sneering man decided to confront the woman who stood up for the kid. Sneering man angerly said "I don't know why you are against me. He was taking up three seats."
The woman kindly explained that it was his approach. He could have conveyed the same message in a kinder manner. The sneering man continued to belligerently argue. The brave woman had enough of this guy. She said "You yelled at a poor kid wearing a helmet. You are a douche!" It was awesome! The guy was being a total jerk, and it was brave of this woman to not only stand up for the kid, but to tell the guy straight to his face that he was acting inappropriately. We need more brave women like this lady who will stand up against self righteous bullies.
The brave woman then ignored the man and turned to talk to her friend. THe sneering man stood up and loomed over them. He looked at the two women as they talked and he creepily laughed. Then, finally he got off. We should have all cheered but the only true brave one on the bus was the brave woman.
At this point, the man next to me turned to me and said "That guy was a real jerk!" He and I got to talking about the uselessness of living a life ruled by anger and it eventually came out we were both from the same area of Northern California: The Bay Area!
I only get to visit the Bay Area and San Francisco every once in a while, but whenever I do, I have a blast. Even though I lived in the bay area for over a decade, I don't think I've been to the view point where I took the above pictures before. Cities are great this way...full of surprises and new excitement.