I'm standing in the middle of the bus. There are a few people standing sparsely behind me, blissfully unaware of all the passengers packed so tightly at the front of the bus that they are probably concerned for their lives should the doors and/or windshield of the bus fail.
The people at the back are too short and cannot see the predicament of the people at the front. They are happy in their ignorance. The people at the front (including the driver) do not know there is lots of room in the back and assume the people at the back are just as crowded so don't say anything, despite being uncomfortable (at least they were able to squeeze on board unlike the others that got left behind). I am the only one NOT happy, because I can see the solution and feel compelled to intervene, but choose not to because I'm clearly not an authority figure and how dare I tell them what they should do, least of all because they feel they have to defend their now obviously wrong choice?
So in the end, what is the right thing to do: Stand by quietly, enjoying my anonymity, while others suffer unnecessarily due to the actions (and inactions) of others, or should I ask the comfortable few at the back to snuggle up and risk disturbing their happy little views of the world?
The assumed/experienced perspectives from all three of the above subjects (front, back and observer) indicates to me that ignorance IS bliss, trying to intervene is often too much trouble, and not intervening leaves a residue of guilt. I think you need to be either shortsighted/blind so as not to have to think about these things, or sufficiently thickskinned that you do not worry about stepping on others' toes.
Unfortunately I am neither.
1 comment:
sometimes the bus drivers yell at the passengers to move back.... plus if you're in the front, there is no way you can push through the logjam to get to the back. I hate the bus!
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