Tuesday, February 24, 2009

chill out, bro.

One day last week I was riding the bus. I sat about halfway back. The bus started to fill up in PVA, as it usually does. One man got on, and I swear he had the loudest speaking voice I have ever heard. This was morning. The guy was giving a shout out to everybody he knew on the bus. Then he started greeting everyone he knew as they boarded the bus. This included slapboxing matches with young children, hugs, etc. People all over the bus were rolling eyes. Some people were yukking it up with the loud man, but not many.

Eventually, with the bus on Clingman, the driver let out a solid "you better chill out, bro." At least, that's what I thought the driver said. One of the loud man's companions told him that the driver said "you better calm down, bro." Either way, the message was the same, and from that point on I heard only muted grumblings from the rear of the bus as The Loud Man contemplated (aloud, of course) his fate during the driver's newly instituted reign of control.

The driver impressed me. He only said what was needed.

When I got to the station, I hastily exited the bus lest I witness some sort of fracas.

The Loud Man may be The Paterfamilias, but I am not sure.