The Delay
Fast forward to the end of a successful shopping spree.
Julia and Mia got back to the bus about 10 minutes before it was schedule to depart and checked in. They chose their seats and were told that they were waiting on one more couple to get back and then they would be ready to leave. The company policy was to wait for all customers and then to charge them per minute they were late.
Well, 35 minutes after bus was supposed to leave, the two late arrivals, Karen and her spoiled brat, sauntered towards the bus – not hurrying at all – with ice cream cones in hand. The standard policy was that food was not allowed on the buses so the drivers told them to finish their food outside of the bus and they took their sweet time. After 10 minutes, they finally finished and got on the bus.
The drivers took their attendance and told the mother-son duo to take a seat. They slowly walked down the aisle scanning for seats before Karen locked eyes with Julia. With purpose, she sat directed her son to sit right behind Julia and Mia, but nothing was said between the two groups, though that silence wouldn’t last long, especially after Karen learned the cost of her delay.
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Indignant Idiot
The second bus driver came down the aisle to find Karen and explain the fine situation with her. “Ma’am, sorry to bother you, but you caused a 45 minute delay and, according to our terms and conditions, you will be receiving a fine because of the disservice you have done to the drivers and other passengers.”
Karen: “Fine me? What, for a few minutes? No way. I was told there would be a ride home waiting for us and that’s it.”
Second Bus Driver: “I’m sorry, but you knew that beforehand. It’s in our terms and services agreement that you agreed to when purchasing the tickets.”
“No,” Karen said indignantly, “nobody told me that.”
The driver was exercising all of the patience he had in his entire body. “You agreed to it, ma’am. The company will mail you all of the information you’ll need. I need your ID, please.”
“No.”
“Ma’am if you don’t, I’m afraid I will need to get the police involved.” Without waiting for a response, he went back to his seat, brimming with confidence that this woman would do the right thing. Of course, nothing Karen had done that entire day could be described as “the right thing,” so it made sense that she’d continue to act in the same immature, inconsiderate manner she’d been behaving.
~
Entitlement Part 2
Julia noticed something out of the corner of her eye and turned to see the little boy standing next to her, staring intently at the game.
“I want that game.”
Julia sighed. She did not want to have to deal with this again. “I told you no this morning. It’s still a no.”
He made a sad, pouting face and went back to his mom. It was starting to get dark outside, so Mia laid down on her seat and across Julia’s lap to fall asleep while she was playing her game. Mia buried her face into Julia’s make-shift pillow that she made her jacket, the DSi still attached to her wrist.
Karen immediately noticed Mia was asleep and leaned forward. “She’s done playing now.”
“So?” Julia quietly replied, as to not wake up Mia.
“So my son can play now.”
“No… he can’t. It’s my game and I don’t have to share it with someone if I don’t want to.”
“Come on,” Karen pleaded, “Just give it to him. He wants it and you are far too old for it anyway.”
“I. Don’t. Care. It’s mine and I said no. Leave me alone, lady.”
Karen seemed appalled that somebody told her no. “WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT—?!” At that point she was practically yelling and Julia was worried that Mia would get woken up from the noise.
“Me,” Julia responded forcefully, but as quiet as she could. “I own it. It’s mine, not yours, not your son’s. Do me and yourself a favor and don’t wake her up.”
“She’s asleep. She doesn’t need it now!”
Julia was entirely done with her mess. “Ma’am, the game is tied to her wrist. I would have to wake her up to get it and anyway, I would be playing with it then. Not your son. It’s mine and if I have to tell you again, I will ask for the driver’s help. You know I’ll do it.”
The second driver had been listening to all of this happening and turned around. He gave Karen a stern look and Karen moved herself and her soon a few rows back. Julia thought she was defeated. Again, Julia was wrong.
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Sneaky SoB
Julia got on her phone, feeling relieved that it was all over and then after a couple of minutes, she felt a tiny hand on her leg. She assumed it was Mia’s hand that just moved while she was sleeping, so she thought nothing of it.
Then Mia shot up with an eardrum shattering scream. The boy was between Julia’s legs. He had crawled up from three rows back to sneak over and steal the game from Mia’s hand while she was sleeping. The hand on Julia’s leg was the boy’s trying to grab for the DSi.
Luckily, the driver didn’t crash into anything after being startled from the noise, but he stopped the bus as soon as he had that chance. Both of the drivers were furious, the boy was crying, the mother was yelling at Mia, and Mia was crying from the mother yelling at her. Complete chaos.
END OF PART 2
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