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Friday, September 7, 2007

ARG!!!!METRO YESTERDAY WAS A FORM OF WATER TORTURE

This is long so get comfortable.

WOW! Yesterday, I had a hellacious experience on METRO. So hellacious that I had to wait a full 24 hours before I could even speak about it. I have a new root on the red line now, since my children are going to a new school. (Yes, My life does revolve around my kids.) Anyway, I get on the train and pull out my new book to dig in a read when the train operator says, "Due to a Police Incident between the Bethesda and Medical Center stations this train will STOP AND UNLOAD AND TURN AROUND IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AT FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS. Shuttle buses have been established. This train will unload at Friendship Heights where you will receive further instructions." So, the entire train car came a buzz. Now we are all scared and hesitant to do anything.

So the train unloads us at Friendship Heights and we all scurry about. ( Now remember, I wear hijab, which is important for later in the post to have everything in proper perspective.) So we exit the station and go outside. If it wasn't for the fact that I had to get home to my family, I would have stayed at Friendship Heights and eaten at the Cheesecake Factory. So I am now outside in the crowd with pushy business men and women, students and others all sweating like a pig in the swamp. We are going from bus to bus all confused and rushing, trying to ask what is the next thing to do. (You know there wasn't a soul from METRO out there to give any directions) I finally board a Metro Bus labeled "SPECIAL", which should have indicated that something wasn't quite right. As we board the bus there were some Latino gentlemen who let the ladies sit, including me. We began to chatter about the events and remarked about the lack of communication on the part of Metro. All of a sudden we hear the bus driver say "THIS IS SOME B#$L SH*T AND I AM NOT F#%kING DRIVING ANYWHERE ELSE!". All of a sudden the bus shut 0ff and an instant heat wave came across the bus. We were sweating on that thing for 10 minutes until another pair of drivers took pity on the dripping, sweaty,tired souls on the bus.

We were finally off to the Grovesner Metro Station. We rode with everyone looking on blackberries, trios and iPhones to get a snippet of information. Apparently some FOOL was breaking into cars during rush hour and got caught and ran into the metro station and was hiding in the tunnels. So they stopped the service of the trains and inconvenienced law abiding citizens. As we all began to discuss better options for resolve someone says (here it comes y'all), "Maybe the guy was a TERRORIST AND HAD A BOMB IN THE TUNNEL. " Then several people began to chime in on the rationalization behind this incredible debacle of an adventure, and the lady's idea. Some folks had the same dumbfounded face I had . So the lady who made the terrorist comment asked me what I thought. Then all of a sudden all eyes were on me, the MUSLIM. I replied, "About what?" Hoping she was not talking to me. Then she says about her comment about the terrorist. (Watch out, for those who don't know I have a low tolerance for idiocy, and share my opinion bluntly) So I reply "I think that is the most stupid and ridiculous thing said today , outside of the decision to inconvenience law abiding citizens by stopping train service because of an idiot thief. And, why do you care what I think, I wasn't talking to you or even acknowledging your retarded statement. You think, because I am a Muslim, I care or want to defend terrorism. Do you think I am an expert? Maybe you think I may know that guy. You know we all look alike. You are the terrorist, you are terrorising me on my way home from a very long and tiring day." What I really wanted to say, I could not because I did not want to give anymore fuel to stereotypes. As she turned BEAT red, she said, "I did not mean anything by it, I know your people get offended and I want you to feel comfortable." Did I have a look like -please bother me? But I had to ask her "My people who? Black People or Muslims? Why would you go out of your way to pull me into a conversation that I was not engaging? Why do you feel obligated to make me feel comfortable if you did not mean anything by your statement. If that is the way you feel so be it. I am not sorry in the least about saying your comment was stupid and I care even less about how you feel about it. I have a favorite quote" It is better for people to think you are stupid than for you to open your mouth and remove all doubt"

Just then, the nice gentlemen behind me, who I was chatting with before I got pulled into this debate of wit verses the idiot says "Lady. just stop talking you sound dumber by the minute." Most of the bus laughed. When we got off the bus at the corner, since the bus driver missed his turn, I chatted with several passengers on the way down the hill about the conversation. Most of them black people who liked the way I handled that lady. I think that we should handle these folks intelligently and calmly. It made me feel better to see her get frustrated because she did not have a cheering section, and she was to the world and I hope people on the bus see you again and pass you by on the street and ask you how you feel about the The Klu Klux Klan and Jim Crow.

1 comments:

Umm Amirah said...

OMG!!!!!!!! I would have LOVED to be a fly on that bus. I know she felt STOOPID the whole way home!!! 2 THUMBS UP!!
SPASWT