Seat!

the bus was crowded even before i got on today, so i had to sit next to someone else. i chose someone who i knew from previous journey would get off in about 10 minuets leaving me 20 to 30 minuets to enjoy the splendor of solitary seating. i was not looking forward to the first ten minutes, his coat was bulky and posture wide. after about five minutes the couple in front of me rung the bell and got up out of there seat moving towards the front of the bus. i let a respectful five seconds go by, got up out of my seat into their vacated bench. little did know how many conflicting emotions this simple act would stir up. the initial elation of having my own seat was countered the moment my buttocks hit the seat, by the realisation that while this seat was superior to the previous in the numbers of inhabitants department it was decidedly inferior in the padding sector. it was in-effect a board of wood covered in a carpet like blanket, rather than a seat.

i took my mind off my seating device and looked towards the front of the bus. to my consternation the couple were still on board chatting to the driver! were they at the wrong stop? did they have the wrong ticket? did they only want to enlighten the driver as to the quality of the posterior environment? these were all running through my head as possibilities but one and far more important thought pushed itself to the front of my mine and quickly dominated my thoughts. what would i do if they did not get off the bus? what should i do? what could i do? when they were sitting in the seat there was no doubt that it was their seat. i never once imagined that i had priority over them in the sitting on that seat stakes. but now the rights or wrongs were somewhat more murky. should i get up and offer them the seat? would they expect this? would they find other seats and sit separately? would they just stand by the driver and get off at the next stop? what would the other passengers think of the situation (for i was sitting on the very front seat of the bus.) i felt the tension mount and mount as they talked to the driver for 5 seconds 10 seconds even 30 seconds, i still had not come to a conclusion to this moral quandary. eventually a minute had gone by and i was no closer to an answer.

They got off the bus.