Sunday, Mar. 13, 2005 - 3:25 a.m.
Women of the world take over
Argh, what a hideous bus journey, warranting an emergency update at 3.30am.This evening I got a text out of the blue from an old friend, so I happily went out to join her for some drinks and do some proper catching up (a lot to do). Her friend very kindly walked me to the night bus stop, and against my protestations, waited with me until the bus came. I was like, oh don't worry, I've waited for this bus many times, you don't have to wait with me. And really, being waited with one time is nice and that, but slightly ... insulting to the rest of the times you waited on your own.
Anyhoz, the bus came, I got on, took one of the seats at the front (as any normal person would want). Minutes passed and then a kerfuffle broke out. Towards the back of the bus I saw a mass of people, which soon broke out into two males, one of which was being held back by a women. All I could hear was, 'please! please! please!', repeatedly.
There were a lot of people between me and the mess, so there was no place for my intervention. When it calmed down a bit, there was just this same woman saying, please, can I have my phone back. And then she eventually retrieved her phone from wherever the males' brawl had sent it to, and she kept on talking to one of the guys, trying to reason to him and calm him down.
I was turned around looking at it and I said to the girl behind me, I can't belive it's taking a woman to break up this fight! No male stood up to help or calm the situation - there was just this one girl with her arms around the guy, trying to calm him and diffuse the situation, and she didn't even know the guy! She said to him, I was 14, and this girl was 11, when we saw a guy being stabbed 9 times in the stomach; please, PLEASE, there IS an option, you don't need to stab someone!
The girl I spoke to said, yes I was just about to say that, and she deserves a medal.
And seriously, she did deserve a medal. I get that a guy/any other person might not have wanted to step in for fear of fanning the flames, but really, since when should a female fellow passenger AND STRANGER have to be the one stopping two people from stabbing each other?
So hurrah for her. But then this guy just behind me started muttering, 'Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! [for a whole minute] Jesus judges people! People can't judge people! Jesus judges people!'
At this point, I was seriously considering asking the Polish man to my left if he would protect me if something really weird broke out, but then I thought, you and your friend look pretty rubbish, and I ended up just smiling along with the both of them. Laughing, even. Just to relieve the hideous tension. And thankfullly I am still here to tell the tale.
But, men, seriously: get a clue! You don't even ever seem to give up your seats to pregnant ladies on the tube - now you're not helping girls stop fights! Do women have to do everything?
Please argue back; I would love to hear men saying they'd not be irresponsible as above. I'll happily hear your arguments because I ain't seeing any action.