I used to be such a sweet, sweet thing 'Til they got a hold of me...
(Thanks Alice Cooper)

So this is coming on to my third year of living in Montreal. This is my third winter here.

Now public transportation was just a convenience when I lived downtown. Usually, I walked everywhere, and used the bus or metro to get to other areas when I needed to. Now that I live about 5km from downtown (aka where I work and everything is, mostly) I depend on public transport to get me places.

When I first started taking the bus and metro, I was polite. I let people ahead of me in line for the bus, I let people scoot in front of me and take the seats on the metro. I was nice, and Pictou County smiley and so on.

The first incident was the "molesting." This happened on the metro once, and then on the bus. Standing on a crowded bus/metro with many bodies all together means nobody can move or see very much. That means if you can get a seat, you should damn well grab one.

So I learned my lesson. In the interest of my own safety/paranoia, I now try to be at the head of the line when I get on the bus. I dash for a seat. When I get on the metro, unless someone is pregnant or elderly or with crutches or something, I take a seat. I usually don't have problems with that... but then there are times like yesterday.

I like to take the 24 bus (it goes up and down Sherbrooke), because it takes me almost to my doorstep. Also, taking the bus means I don't have to switch like on the metro, where I have to move from green to orange lines at Lionel Groulx. The ride is about 20 minutes, and it's generally relaxing.

One day, I had a load of groceries and was obviously struggling. There was a lady sitting on the outside of a two-seater, and I stood beside her, hoping she was getting out soon so I could shuffle in. Five stops later, she still sat on the outside, so I tried to get to the inside seat, saying "excuse moi" "pardon me..." etc. She still didn't budge. BIOTCH. I ended up struggling to keep my balance and my groceries all the way home.

So yesterday, I get on the 24 at Sherbrooke and University, and I'm second in line. First of all, this guy with a laptop bag buts in front of the old lady in front of me, and dashes to a seat in the back. I let the old lady take the only seat left in the front of the bus, and I go in search of a seat.

I climb up the stairs to the back section, and the only three seats available are the one beside laptop guy, and the ones that face backwards in front of laptop guy. I don't like sitting backwards, so I try to sit beside laptop guy. The thing is, he has set his laptop bag on the seat beside him. NOT ONLY THAT, he has his legs extended so the seats in front of him (the backwards seats) are blocked.

The old me would have held on to the poll and waited for another seat to vacate at the next stop (tough luck, it's the McGill stop where a million more people get on).

The new me, feeling some mix between rage and bravery, clibs over his legs, picks up the laptop guy's bag from the seat beside him, hands it to him, and sits beside him. Of course, this being Montreal, he says nothing, and we sit in silence the rest of the ride.

No more Mister Nice Girl.

(Also posted here)