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Monday, December 29. 2008
It’s All About Me
Twenty-three days until Barack Obama is sworn in as president of the United States. Question is, can the U.S. survive that long? Well, we’ve survived so far, so the last three weeks of this current administration, we can suffer.San Diego Chargers fans are probably suffering hangovers this morning. The Chargers made it into the Playoffs, beating the Denver Broncos 52-21. This needs to be mentioned since my family in the Denver area never had a problem reminding me when the pony boys made it to the playoffs. “Euwww! John Elway!”
Now the pony girls have Jake Cutler at QB. He did a lot of talking before the game ...
Going to and from work I use the trolley that stops at the “Q” (Qualcomm Stadium), the Green Line. Sunday, there was a large number of Chargers fans dressed in the Chargers best heading to the game. Here was a chance for the Chargers to not only get in the playoffs, but win their division as well. They just had to beat the hated Broncos — which, this season, isn’t really a tall order.
In fact, winning the division wasn’t a tall order either. The Chargers did it with .500 season. The Broncos have a.500 season. The difference: the Chargers beat the Broncos this season — twice. Good lord, if the Chargers had lost …
The thing about riding the trolley on Sunday is that it is usually not crowded and one can have a quiet ride. I enjoy riding the trolley any day of the week, but the weekends are especially nice. Not so Sunday afternoon when the boisterous crowds jammed the three and four-car trains. Usually, the Green Line has but two cars per train.Regular trolley riders know the routine and let the bike riders have the spaces on the cars best suited for hanging on to a bike. The occasional riders jam on to the trolley car in herds and for some unfathomable reason, choose to stand in the doorways, even if there are seats available.
It has to do with all the movies set in New York, I think. People see crowded subways with people standing, hanging on to rails and straps in the movies or on TV so naturally, to get that real New York effect, they choose to stand on the trolley, rather than sit and the only places to stand with something to hold on to are right in front of the doors.
Blessedly, the people going to the game got off five stops before Fashion Valley, where I usually disembark. Had I needed to get off before then, trying to push through the crowd would have been infuriating.
Years ago, it used to be that people getting on to the bus or trolley would wait for the people getting off and would move away from in front of the door. Not these days. As I get off the trolley especially, the inconsiderate jerks are themselves pushing their way on to the car and the ones still on the platform won’t move out of the way so those of us getting off don’t have to thread our way through a crowd.
Manners are noticeably absent in today’s world, at least in San Diego. Most young people on the bus don’t give up their seats for the elderly or disabled, unless instructed to by the driver. Most people getting off the bus will push around the elderly to get off, rather than wait as these older people who have certainly paid their dues in life, get off as best they can. Yeah, I’d like to get off the bus as quickly as possible, but I’m not pushing anyone aside to do so.
This nation lacks civility and I’m probably one of the worst offenders at times. Especially online. Maybe, with the incoming president, someone who actually worked with his community, there will be a return to a more polite society. We’ve been a “me first” nation for far too long, ruled by greed and avarice.Maybe, with our economy in shambles, our reputation around the world shattered and a different view of the world taking office on January 20, 2009, that will begin to change.
Next week though, I’ll be traveling home from work on the Green Line when Chargers fans will be heading to the game. The thought makes me wish the Chargers were playing on the road in Indianapolis. Let someone else deal with the transit issues. But it’s all a part of life, just one game.
Unless those fuckin’ bastards beat the Colts … DAMMIT! They just might too! That’s it, I’m wearing a Raiders jersey next Saturday.
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