Hot under the collar, literally and figuratively
Literally: Welcome to the Baked Apple
New York City is generally known as the Big Apple, but today, it's more like a roasted one. It was already 83 degrees Fahrenheit/28.33 Celsius when I got up at 6 AM this morning. It's 1:55 PM as I type this post, and the Weather Channel says it's currently 99 degrees F/37.22 C. Advice to literal hot-heads: Drink plenty of water. Also, I've found that using corn starch on heat-irritated skin can help--maybe it will help you, too.
Figuratively: A public-transit rider's rant
I hate to ask unless I have no choice, and rarely request a seat on public transit, though, of course, I did after my foot surgery some years ago and after I broke both wrists and literally couldn't hold anything. Still, I can't help but be bothered by all the fine folks who sit there nonchalantly ignoring the fact that a woman with a cane draped over her elbow is standing right in front of them.
A few days ago, I spotted a very young lady, probably around 12 years old, seated, with her mother standing directly in front of her. This, I thought, was interesting. The girl in question wasn't so young that asking her to give up her seat would have resulted in her whining for the rest of the trip, so, for openers, why was she sitting, rather than her mother? Better yet, when a seat was vacated right next to the girl, her mother sat down. So let me get this straight: pre-teens get priority for seating over their own parents, and a woman old enough to be the mother of one and the grandmother of the other--and holding a cane, noch besser/even better--gets roundly ignored. That's what I get for not asking. What ever happened to so-called common courtesy and/or respect for one's elders and/or consideration for those with mobility problems?
See also:
New York City is generally known as the Big Apple, but today, it's more like a roasted one. It was already 83 degrees Fahrenheit/28.33 Celsius when I got up at 6 AM this morning. It's 1:55 PM as I type this post, and the Weather Channel says it's currently 99 degrees F/37.22 C. Advice to literal hot-heads: Drink plenty of water. Also, I've found that using corn starch on heat-irritated skin can help--maybe it will help you, too.
Figuratively: A public-transit rider's rant
I hate to ask unless I have no choice, and rarely request a seat on public transit, though, of course, I did after my foot surgery some years ago and after I broke both wrists and literally couldn't hold anything. Still, I can't help but be bothered by all the fine folks who sit there nonchalantly ignoring the fact that a woman with a cane draped over her elbow is standing right in front of them.
A few days ago, I spotted a very young lady, probably around 12 years old, seated, with her mother standing directly in front of her. This, I thought, was interesting. The girl in question wasn't so young that asking her to give up her seat would have resulted in her whining for the rest of the trip, so, for openers, why was she sitting, rather than her mother? Better yet, when a seat was vacated right next to the girl, her mother sat down. So let me get this straight: pre-teens get priority for seating over their own parents, and a woman old enough to be the mother of one and the grandmother of the other--and holding a cane, noch besser/even better--gets roundly ignored. That's what I get for not asking. What ever happened to so-called common courtesy and/or respect for one's elders and/or consideration for those with mobility problems?
See also:
posted by Shira Salamone at 2:16 PM
2 Comments:
Do keep in mind that you may not know the whole truth. One of my best childhood friends was born with a defect in one hip and is unable to stand for extended periods of time. With proper management, she is able to go without a cane or leg brace most of the time, so the problem is not obvious to the casual observer. When we were girls, her parents, grandparents, and other adults who knew about her hip would frequently give up a seat to her, sometimes getting odd and disapproving looks from those who were not in the know--when, in fact, the daughter was the one with "mobility problems." I know that it is unlikely the mother and daughter you encountered were in a similar situation, but, while it may not be realistic to imagine the best of people, it certainly doesn't hurt.
Good point, Shelomit. I'll take the possibility of an invisible mobility problem into consideration.
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