Today at 12:06 pm I handed the 475 bus driver a five dollar note and said; two hour, concession, zone one, please.
He proceeded to hand me the card and collect my change. After thanking him and retiring to a nearby bus seat, I realised that he had short changed me, which led to an internal arguement, should I leave it and forget he owes me money or should I return to the front and demand the money that is rightfully mine.
After much deliberation and self loathing at my pure weakness when it comes to defending myself, I came to the conclusion that it was MY MONEY and I couldn't just stand to be pushed around and walked all over by such an insignificant figure, one whom I may never see again.
I pressed the button when the bus was nearing my destination and slowly walked toward the driver, politely I told him that my bus ticket was $2.30, the payment was $5 and that he had only returned $1.70 in change. This annoyed him and in his heavy foreign accent he began to argue with me. I calmly reinstated that I had given him $5 dollars and that he owed me $2.70.
Much to my surprise he returned the correct change and scared me off the bus.
I continued on, slightly annoyed and slightly triumphant.
I endured a second encounter with that same driver on my return trip, as I stepped onto the bus I recieved a look of annoyance and disgust. Did he honestly think that standing up for myself was such a terrible thing to do? After validating my ticket I again retired to a nearby seat and told myself I would not let his pompous arrogance upset me. I had what was rightfully mine and I had not let him walk all over me.
Although this may seem a strange situation to retell, it still calls on the same question I ask myself in so many other situations. What gives these people the right to screw me over and get angry with me? And why do I always let people walk all over me?
I will be making a concious effort from now on to stand up for myself because this feeling of worthlessness is worse than any arrogant expression or remark I will ever recieve.
Yay! Okay, so it's only something small, but it's a start. People don't like people proving them wrong... and when you stand up for yourself, that's what you're doing. The world is full of pretentious, pompous bastards who love thinking they're right. So when you put them in their place, they feel lost which makes them feel angry which makes them lash out at you. The world is stupid.
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