My very selfish moment

Well, I am after all just another human being... LOL... Self defense before starting to confess...

I am most obviously know that I should be able to give my seats for pregnant women, parents with so many kids around them, elderly or anyone who needs to sit more than myself.

BUT, there were moments when I absolutely unable or unwilling to give my seats for other passengers....

1. If I was not feeling well
Headache, stomache cramp, tired feet over standing too long... Once I have myself a seat then certainly I would not want to bother about other people's misery. Rather than try to be nice and just give my seat away and then collaps in public place...

2. While I am sleeping
Well, how in the heck I could care less about the other when I was already flying to dreamland?

3. If I was in the mood to read
You can't read book while standing... Hopefully to get seat near the window so I could be more ignorant to other people and finish my book

4. If I was so damn tired
There were times when my body not ready to be pushed around and my hands unable to grip on something so I would not fall. I felt exhausted and could only wish to enjoy my time while sitting at least to refresh myself.

5. When I have too many stuffs
I totally hate it to keep on standing while bring so many plastic babs full of groceries. I could not feel my fingers as they already numb for holding the plastic bags too long. So, when I do get a seat I will not going to give it easily to somebody else

Yeah, I know that when we think about it...other people probably more tired than I am. But there are moments when I just give up and thinking to take care of myself first rather than other's.

(So, I should not be ranting or grumbling when people do not want to give me seat on the bus ... LOL! THEORETICALLY)

Ask for help

My mom said if we deal with a stingy person then we need to ask before that person finally give in (though not with sincere feeling). We have to at least said something since we are the one who need it. Don't hold back.

We need to do that when we use public transportation. We could not expect other people will understand though some cases does. Then again, this is a public place where we meet all kind of personalities.

So...

1. Pregnancy
Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know that women with this condition should not ask for help from other passengers. Other passengers should have compassion towards them. But it could be the passengers also feel tired or just don't want to know.
So for me...do not hesitate to ask for a favor from somebody's else. We should consider ourselves along with the child inside. What if the driver hit the brake suddenly and then you fall? Who are you going to blame? The driver? The passenger who sat nicely near the spot where you have to stand?

2. Sick
Pfff, once I honestly begged a guy who sat near the area where I have to standing all the way through the pms tortures. Thank you GOd he was willing to stand up and give me his seat.

3. Heated
I never understand why Indonesian people manage to breath inside a space with no air circulation. I noticed that rarely people asked from the sitting passengers to open the windows next to their seat. While the air inside the bus is intolerable due to the heat
Once, I asked a girl who sat near the window to open it now. While pouting she opened the window. Giving only few opened space. SUddenly a guy standing beside me took initiatives to open the window wider. It turn out he was also could not stand it anymore. Then again, he need someone else to pop the question first.

4. Sick part 2
If we are in good condition that getting touched by the wind is something that we do not mind. But when we are not feeling very well...that would be the last thing we need. Obviously we want to close the window tight. Sometimes I do wonder probably those people close the window because they are avoiding cold air from outside and care nothing about other people?
When we are the one who is sick then we have no choice but to ask for the window to be closed or at least not being opened too wide.


Help request that would probably be rejected totally point blank:

Request to ask for a seat to put their baggages.
If that was me, I would totally reject the request as are you crazy? If you bring too many baggages then it would be your problem don't give that to anybody else.

Soo, if you need then do not hesitate to ask for help except the last above request. Jakartan probably looks cruel but that because they are tired already. Most of them would not have the heart to refuse help request from other people... But we always knows when someone try to take advantage from our kindness. As soon as those pretenders ask for seat they suddenly become so healthy after faking to be ill...

Just have faith.

Simply sick

I was not feeling very well for these couple of days…

And suddenly I remembered those days when I have to go to work with such conditions.

Having PMS was the worst moment of my life… I have to drag myself from the bed… And along the way while waiting for the bus I kept on praying that the bus would be empty… Please, please God… let it be empty… Which of course…recently…NOT…

Entering the bus, I could only pray that my stomach would not hurt…then again...as I have already aware…the stomachache killing me… I looked around desperately…trying to find a place to seat otherwise I think I would collapse… Finally I decided I could not take it anymore I beg (yeah, literally…BEG) a guy sitting next to me if I could sit there for a while because I am not feeling very well. He probably feeling sorry for me after looked at my pale face he immediately stood up and gave me the seat. Bless that guy… Though he was probably swearing at me…

Years while still in college, I slipped in the bathroom and my toe nail almost ripped off (is that the correct word? Well, you know what I mean… it simply nearly took off from the skin…)
It hurts like hell and yet I have to go to the university as I was about to take exam. So, cautiously I went there using the bus… I have promised to myself that if ANYONE dare to step on my bleeding toe I would definitely KILL that person on the spot… But that was the year of 1993… People were not so crowded like nowadays… And more important I went to the university not during peak hour. So all I have to do is to walk with the pain expression and people just moved away from me… Especially after they saw bandage on my toe. Nowadays, I probably just took a taxi no matter how it cost…

If another person was sick on the bus or other public transportation we would soon find out because they starting to use this balsam and the smell… Let me just say that there is this one brand that could drag me to feel not feeling very well too after smell it… I totally hate it but what can I say…? Lucky me they only use that in attempt to drive away the sickness… Imagine if that person spew beside you… Within minutes, you would start to feel that the sickness has moved to your body though perhaps it was only in our imagination…

Another thing I remembered when I chose to take a taxi to go to the office. Along the way, I saw someone I know from Omprengan (private cars used illegally as public transportation)… So, I stop the taxi and called her out to join with me in this taxi… I remembered her office is just a few blocks away from mine… I did not intend to ask her to share the fare but just being a good Samaritan. I saw her hesitation but I keep asking her anyway so finally she got it.

Inside the taxi she asked me why on earth I took a taxi to go to the office? I said I was not feeling very well …
She then looked me for a few seconds too long before finally said,” Then why are you going to the office if you are not feeling well?”

I looked at her again… Tried to think something smart to say…short, witty but straight to the heart… Could not find any… So, I just smile and keep on silent up to the moment she reached her destination…

Oh dear… Of course I would rather STAY at HOME while I was sick… BUT…I have responsibility and consideration to fellow colleagues… If I was not going to the office it means she would be working alone with lots of works to do… And since I could not stand the fact I have to stand all the way to the office on the bus…then taking taxi seems a better choice…
Like I said, being in the same city…facing with the same hectic traffic jam, using the same bus…does not mean people start to understand each other…

In short… If you are sick… DO NOT GO TO THE OFFICE!