Monday, March 30, 2009

A life of grime

Our toilets have flooded. All over our fucking yard.

The shit has melded with the toilet paper to form a tan coloured river of viscous sewerage that's covered the bags of glass bottles we've been meaning to recycle for months. Even the christmas tree is bark deep in it.

Thank Christ its not sunny out.

I dread the day then this type of thing can't be fixed with a simple call to our ever so helpful landlord.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Please give up your seat

What is the correct ettiquette for giving up your seat on public transport? Every time I board packed public transport I'm faced with this dilemma. Theres the standard crew you stand for-the elderly, the frail, the pregnant, people with crutches, people with children, people with guide dogs... you get the picture. These people are acceptable to offer to. Its clear cut.



Then theres the iffys. The inbetweeners. The ones with the grey hair and compressed spines who board the bus with the energy of Olympians. Sure they look old, but as they scramble along through the throng without a care or a worry you feel you'd offend them by offering them a sit down. They give you a look as much to say "Don't let these eccos or brown support tights fool you, I'm strong as an ox."



I wasn't always like this. I used to offer my seat to anyone with crows feet. A sprightly 18 was I when I offered to stand up for a woman who (in hindsight) was no more than 40. As her cheeks turned crimson she practically jumped out the window to affirm me of how little she needed that seat. A friend who was with me remarked "theres a line for who you offer your seat to on the bus and who you don't-and you just crossed it."



This post goes out to the man with the grey hair, false teeth and the lap top that I left standing for 5 stops on the luas today.