There was this male bus driver who used to give me the shits. His schedule was all over the place, so even when I deliberately tried to miss his route to or from uni, it would be just my luck that he was driving the bus I ended up catching.
There was something about the lingering stares he would give me as I paid my fare, and the sleazy looking smile he pulled from the moment he opened the bus’ doors, until I sat down. I named this guy “the arsehole”.
A few months out from Christmas, I was waiting for the bus to the city. It was a beautiful warm day and I was wearing a spaghetti strap dress, with black skinny jeans. The bus pulled up, and of course it was the arsehole. I took a deep breath and stepped up on to the bus.
“Wow, you look beautiful!” he said with black eyes and a greasy looking, gummy smile.
I said “Hello, to the city please”
He grabbed my wrist and stroked my upper arm tattoo while saying “I love you”
I snatched my arm from his grasp and said “DON’T TOUCH ME!”
He kept asking “why?”
I didn’t indulge him with a reply, but instead hopped off the bus and walked home. I was at the local shopping centre, so it was a good half hour walk along the main roads.
In this time I had a wave of emotions. I was shaking a bit, I felt violated. I was stressing that I now needed to catch a different bus from a new place everyday.
I was fuming with rage, that this bus driver felt he was allowed to touch me, and could say something completely inappropriate. I was also confused as to why this man could be totally unprofessional but I ended up feeling worthless.
It wasn’t until I got home and told a family member, that my concerns were validated and a call was made to the bus company. Management asked if I would like him to be fired on the spot or moved to another route. It was almost Christmas and I empathised with the arsehole, not knowing whether or not he had a family to support, so I requested he be moved and never drive in my neighborhood again.
One year later I was in the downtown mall after class, killing time with a little bit of retail shopping before heading to the bus. As I was coming down the escalators I locked eyes with THE ARSEHOLE on the escalator going up!
He pointed at me and yelled “YOU FUCKING BITCH!”
People around me gasped.
My heart started racing and I felt my face heating up.
When I got off the escalator, I briskly walked outside to the crossing. The city traffic is always busy so it was a bit of a wait for the lights to go green. I was standing at the front of the group, but constantly checking over my shoulder to see if the arsehole was coming up behind me.
“WATCH OUT!” a female voice screamed
I immediately turned back to the road and saw a bus coming up along the footpath. IT WAS THE ARSEHOLE. He was speeding towards me, and wouldv’e hit me but another person nearby pulled me to the ground, out of the way.
The bus stopped on the footpath, the arsehole opened the window and said “I’LL KILL YOU !”
People in the crowd started lunging towards him, swearing, yelling , but the doors were locked and he was able to speed away.
I look back and think “Oh you’re gonna kill me? You couldn’t even kill me when you were in a bus and I was on the footpath, you useless bitch”.
They say hindsight is 20/20, but it also gives you strength. I over analysed that situation many times during reflection and would never allow him to make me feel weak or timid or sorry for him again. Come at me brah, see what happens.