OHL Bus Ride

May 8, 2026

My bus ride to and from work every day is 1 hour and 30 minutes. That means that most days I actually have only 21 hours to do anything. Sure I could try to catch up on emails, my writing, or other productive activities in the down time. But anyone who relies on city transit knows that it is never the most agreeable environment for productive activities. 

By default, I end up staring out of the window next to my seat and half listening to any conversations happening around me. I try to never pass judgement; only listen and observe. Today while on the bus something happened that I have never experienced before. 

Everyone on the bus, including the driver and except for me of course, was engaged in an open conversation about the truth. Or at least what they thought was the truth. The most neutral way I can interpret this event was that everyone involved believed they were teaching others based on headlines they had scrolled through recently. 

Topics ranged from the legitimacy of marijuana strains, to chem trails, and even the government's control over the leaves of trees and whether they do or do not fall each year. I felt compelled to interject but I'm so glad I resisted the nearly primal urge to correct someone else's misinformation. What followed next in this conversation across the entire bus was surreal for me to experience.

A woman casually asked, "Have you seen Alex Jones lately? He looks different or something.. he's gone queer!" A few people on the bus said they did in fact 'hear about that'. No one said they 'saw it'; which would be concurrent with the terminology everyone had been using to confirm something they saw on their phones prior to meeting on the bus. These confirmations could have been lies. I was too focused on keeping a straight face. My adrenaline was pumping as I stared out of the window at some girl stuck in traffic, picking her nose. As she noticed me noticing her nose picking, my only thought was, "I'm so proud to be a part of a community that is changing the way people interact with one another for the better." I didn't look away from the nose picker. She must have been embarrassed because she shrugged at me and got angry. 

I would like to apologize to that girl. I apologize for being so overtaken with joy and refreshingly hilarious banter on the city bus that I forgot to follow the social rule regarding boogers, nose picking and staring at girls when they do it. It was an innocent mistake but none the less I was in the wrong. Keep your privilege in mind though, booger girl. You were driving your own car and I was on the bus. I was so happy to be on the bus with those severely misinformed people. 

For the first time, I really felt so proud to be a part of my community. I gave the woman who had talked the most a cigarette as I got off the bus. She had asked for one earlier and no one had an extra. I didn't know my eyes could get watery from not laughing. It must have looked like I was crying. She looked pleasantly surprised and said thank you before taking it. "Abso Lutely" I said and then thanked the bus driver who had talked the whole time with passengers.

My feelings towards these events are as follows: misinformation is also at least in some small part at the root of racism and personal prejudices in general. I saw an entire bus full of different ethnicities, races, genders, and ages all communicating together peacefully. In a place where there are tons of racist things people do and say on the bus every day that I can account for. Not to say it's rampant but it does happen. 

As far as bus rides go, this one takes the cake even before the very casual mention of Alex Jones. Having to keep a straight face was the cherry on top. Praise be to the Satanic convergence of Blood between Infowars and the Onion. Blessed be the cursed algorithm that showed Tim Heidecker as Alex Jones in this highly misinformed individual's feed. I'm grateful to bear witness to the Almighty force of power that is our sacred News and Media. 

Thank you, Satim.

Ramen.