Silent Rant

We (collectively meaning all of us) give a lot of crap to the greedy wealthy top government and corporate officials for their abuse of power and position. In this story, I’d like to focus on the little guy; the humble public servants, the impoverished, underpaid, less-educated folks that would love to stick it to the man, but end up becoming the man.

Today on my very last day of school FOREVER, I did something I haven’t done in a really long time: I forgot my wallet. After trudging through the cold and snow at 0-dark-hundred hours, I arrived at the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) train station with just enough time to get to school for my presentation. Only then did I realize I had no bus pass. I had no cash. So I just jumped over the turnstile. Apparently the gentleman working the booth happened to be turning pages of his Red Eye right then and spotted me.

Whoa- whadda you doin’?

Ah I’m sorry. I have a student pass but forgot it this morning and I have to get to class

So you weren’t going to ask me or explain?

Sorry man.

I carried on, no harm done. It’s kind of the new me- I’ve been burned too many times asking for permission first. It’s funny how people often go along with things as long as you act and look like you know what you’re doing, and that you’re supposed to be doing it.

But coming home this afternoon was a different story. Somehow suspecting there might be trouble, my wife gave me a couple bucks at school (she works there ya know). But see, I pay $30,000 a year to go to school, and part of that fee goes towards my CTA pass. Essentially, I already bought my ticket, and I’m wasn’t anxious to pay twice. But no sooner had I hopped over the turnstile than I was confronted- nay, accosted- by large woman.

Whaddya think you’re doin’ ?

* sigh * Here we go again…

I’m a student, and I forgot my pass today

I don’t care. You walk back through there and pay. When I go to Marshall Fields, you think I can just tell them I forgot my money and they’ll give me whatever I want? You do that again and you’ll be in jail

Wow. Jail, huh? At this point, having realized that my cause was fruitless and I was going to be down $2, I said the only thing I could think of that was a little less sassy than… say… “Oh yeah? Well at least I’d be able to hang out with yermom.” I looked at her with a mildly-confused but sarcastic grin:

Marshall Field’s doesn’t even sell CTA passes

She pointed (more vehemently this time) at the turnstile, crawled back into the grumpy hideout from which she sprang, and I regretfully paid my $2.

Obviously I deserved to be stopped- that’s her job. But her overboard reaction is a scenario I’ve seen played out too many times. This poor woman likely gets talked down to by so many people around her. She has little control over others. She’s been given one domain to rule- on tiny little sphere of power, and by golly no white punk yuppie is going to pull her down from being queen of that hill.

My only question is, where was she yesterday when I stood in that same train station while two people blew cigarette smoke in my face amidst the 36 “No Smoking” signs posted?