LEADERHUNTRESS

The Ralph Kramden Special Crosses Town, While Pushing Courtesy, Wall Street Occupation and Possibly a Happy Pill

NEW YORK, NY, Nov 2, 2011--Did you ever have the experience of being in a public place -- then something happened, and you didn't know whether to be outraged, entertained, or just ignore it?

That pretty much describes every bus ride and subway ride in NYC -- and it happened today when my driver (aka Swami "Everythingsucksananda") calmed his squashed and befuddled swarm of passengers, using a wonderfully modulated tone of voice over the mic, suggesting the hope of being discovered in a drugstore by a theatrical agent (do they ride buses?)

I and other New Yorkers -- all ages and all stages of anger management and mourning -- had a chance to actually experience being "bozos" on the crosstown 42nd Street bus. Our very strange, wonderful and warped bus driver took us on an entertaining experience.

Whispering in his dramatic theatrical voice, he was enouraging "better behavior," as he edged toward his political statement. (There's always an agenda; it's not always hidden. It was only a matter of time, which I had; my ETA was already late -- it's an MTA bus.) 


"Isn't this wonderful?" he asked."We're in an environmentally friendly bus. Listen to the hum as we do not ruin our city."

Then:
"You hate your job?" he coked a cocky eyebrow in the rearview.

Everyone looked at each other guiltily, many knowing the true secret -(What's a job?)

"Are you just fed up because I came late because there are not enough buses and they closed your afterschool program and you had to leave your lousy job to go pick up your kid?" he queried.

More befuddled looks. And then the point:

"Well you can gripe about it and treat everyone like garbage. or you can HAVE A NICE DAY," he quipped, as the sound of a waterfall entered my mind, and I went into time travel, landing at a meditation retreat.

"You can really be a nice person and MEAN have a nice day. Or just be miserable."

Light. Lurch. Pregnant pause. Pregnant lady rolls eyes and rings the "I gotta get off at the next stop" bell.

"That's sooo nice," says Swami-MTAnanda. "Ringing the bell is a form of COMMUNICATION. Communication is a wonderful thing."

At this point, I found myself judging. Is he fit to drive this bus, on drugs, out of line professionally? I created a mental assessment sheet and started checking boxes.

But then I stopped because he was funny. WE NEED FUNNY.

"Consider the alternative," he continued. "You can be under a slab.Or you can actually HAVE A NICE DAY."

I wondered if this was a video bus and I hoped he wouldn't get in trouble, mostly because it was a whole lot more entertaining than the blasting TVs in the back of taxis.

"If you don't like the way things are, you can actually do something - did you know?"

We all looked at each other. Huh?

"You can OCCUPY WALL STREET."

Ah. The agenda appears. Revolution on an MTA bus, while I struggle with a giant Trader Joe shopping bag and my other stuff. Where's the cell phone? I need to record this. Too late.We're at Second Avenue.

My fellow busmate is laughing. "What's he on?" she says.

Another New Yorker put her nose in the air. "Crazies everywhere."

This has been another New York moment brought to you by LeaderHuntress whose goal it has become to say less, listen more and now I HAVE to talk about it.
 I can't wait for my next bus ride. Listen, he's right. There are many folks walking around with the world on their shoulders. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Shine it on. It doesn't take much to have a good time or be nice.