Americans are generally amiable, and Ive observed and stuck conversations with strangers a lot, so talking, asking, and joking around has become a habit. But like every general statement, there will always be reality checks. Mum and I were at a casinos parking lot, which also served as a bus station, to catch a bus to Maryland. There was already quite a line going on when we got there, and I was a little doubtful that wed get a seat, but we stood in line anyway. After a while, the line started to move and I saw that our bus had arrived. There was some commotion because some lines to other buses were merging, and the bus driver/conductor/baggage guy/barker (theyre one person here), whom I noticed had a very thick Jamaican (or of that region) accent, whom I think had driven a bus Id been on before cause he looked and talked rather familiar but idk, was announcing something about seat placement. As we moved up the line, a group of African-Americans, who had apparently been there before we were, only the rest of their group were behind us, went in front of us in the line and even rudely told Mum dont rush in front of me, lady. Mum stood back and let them pass. I held my tongue. When it was our turn, driver man was saying he could only take 50 people into the bus. Mum said, What number am I? driver man said 51, and laughed. There were still some vacant seats, as seen through the windows. Mum noticed the joke and said, But well my daughter has to be on the bus, too! I played along and muttered, I could always sit on her lap, though, as I handed my ticket. You would sit on MY lap? the driver said. I shook my head NO so vigorously I got dizzy and said I meant my Mum. Disgusting joke and I should have punched him in the face, but I let it pass. I put my blue bag in the baggage compartment as Mum took my second bag, a large handbag, inside the bus. When I got on the bus I saw Mum left it on a single vacant seat as she was looking for another one further down. Seeing there were no vacant double seats, I sat down and put my big bag on the floor, like I always on the countless bus trips Ive gone on here (Ive honestly lost count. Im not even kidding). Driver man comes into the bus and tells me something about bags not being allowed on the floor so I either had to put it up or in the baggage compartment outside so I said okay even when I knew it wasnt such a big deal because Ive done it so many times before. It was too big to fit the overhead and my crown was in this bag, so I didnt want it out of my sight. I stuffed the bag under my seat instead. This whole time, the African Americans (there were many of them in this bus) were having a grand time laughing and talking and joking around with the driver. Mum got to talk someone into switching seats so we could sit together, so I took out the bag and went to my new seat, and settled on it with the bag on the floor. Driver man saw and said, this time with his voice a lot louder, (I cant do verbatim because he said things differently) that Maam, nothing on the floor, and said the same thing he said earlier, and so I stood up and said okay okay Im gonna move but he still kept talking, and then he said, You dont understand English? OH NO YOU DID NOT. The people in the bus laughed. I wanted SO much to say, Im actually an English major, sir, funny you should ask, but Im not sure youre aware that people, especially non-natives like yourself and myself, will have accents that not everyone can understand so shut your racist mouth and let me do what you asked so we can go, but I settled with I understand English very well, actually. He then proceeded to say more things Im sorry I honestly dont remember and couldnt even make out some of the things he said, but it was something about him getting the blame if something happened to us etc. I was telling him there were valuables in the bag, and I dont remember what he said; maybe he didnt understand my English either? I dont know. So I took out my crown case, went out of the bus, and put the bag in the baggage compartment. When I got back on the bus, they were laughing about something or other cause apparently the driver man was some sort of funny guy, but I was seething. In retrospect, I could have handled it better, but being in a foreign country, yeah, of course it stung. I hate getting angry because I end up crying, and thats precisely what happened when I got to my seat. The African-Americans were laughing out loud, the Mexican couple were snuggling together, the Americans were chatting away, and there I was, letting the tears roll off my Filipino cheeks. In a country where every race has come together and melded into the backbone of its economy, it should be a federal offense to put someone down only they dont look or speak like you. Its 2014, sir, and even when youve driven buses for over 20 years as you said, the fact remains that we were not born here, and never will we be able to claim belongingness in this land or superiority over anyone just because they cant understand our brand of English. Kbye
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 17:59:29 +0000
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