A late evening bus ride home in a double-decker bus had me sitting on the lower deck, when at one of the stops, a young man boarded the bus. As a few people entered and had their electronic ride-cards read by the machine next to the bus driver, this young man, when his turn came, told the driver he had lost his wallet and needed a ride to a certain station to get home. The driver refused to let him ride for free. The young man lost his cool and started to shout and walk into the bus anyway - saying to the driver "You are just a driver -- 'swearword' - just do your job and drive the bus. What are you going to do?" The driver was behind a glass screen and stayed patient and waited, making it clear that he was not going to drive until this young man got off the bus. Everyone else was frozen around this eruption of verbal violence from the young man. Even the passengers waiting to get on the bus after the young man, waited outside not knowing how this high-drama will play out. The young man may have been drunk or at the least - seemed menacingly threatening in his loud angry swearing voice, shouting obscenities and marching assertively where he was not allowed by the rules. 

I had more than enough money for another bus ticket and quickly found the change by the time the fellow came close to me, and gave him the money with "just buy yourself a ticket". He looked at me and kept saying the driver won't let him ride when he has lost his wallet. I mumbled something like 'Let it go. He has a job to do'. It took him a few moments to understand that ending this situation was good for everyone by now and his way was not as effective as the alternative offered. He took the money and walked back to the driver to pay. We both now learned that the buses no longer accept money for tickets. Only the electronic cards are allowed. I prayed that my card had enough balance on it, and handed him the card, and said, just click in with this. He gave me a hug and said thank you before accepting the card. He seemed relieved to be calming down after what must have been a stressful evening for him. Other passengers now climbed in. He brought back the change he had been handed before. When I told him to keep it, knowing that his declared destination to the driver was another train station, he asked if I was sure and called me a sister. He then climbed up to the top floor of the double-decker and we could all be just fellow passengers again. 

It reminded me of a time from 1986 when I used to ride to work by taking two buses. One day, I had kept ready change for the bus fare in my hand. At the end of the first bus ride, the second bus required an additional quarter as transfer-fare for connecting. It was only then that I realized that I did not have my wallet in my bag. Without the quarter, I could not complete my journey to work. I bravely asked a few fellow passengers at the bus stop but no one gave me the quarter I asked for. It was a very humiliating situation. Luckily for me, perhaps because I used to be a regular passenger, the driver of the second bus recognized me and let me ride by giving me a free-tranfser ticket. I think he may have paid up for me saying I could pay him back another day. It is easier to have empathy when you have been in the same situation as the other. May we find bus brothers regardless of whether we forget our wallets or not.