You wonder why no one respects you: 10-13 on Route 36

Yesterday (Monday), coming home from the Strategic Plan unveiling at the Convention Center, I had loads of fun on Route 36.

First, the bus was 15 minutes late due to engine trouble. The driver told me this was the best of the three buses available. Once we got closer to TCC, a passenger was asking about the last 12 and the driver (not being too familiar with VB bus schedules) directed that passenger to me - explaining that I knew the schedules better than him. I explained, "Either that 12 has to wait or HRT has to come up with another way to get you home."

What looked like some 15 year old delinquent (in terms of how he was acting) sitting across, said, "Shut the F*** Up!" (censoring per Blogger rules here). Turned out that passenger wanted the 29 to the Mall. No one told him to get off at Holland & Lynnhaven due to his language and rudeness. Oh well, maybe now he won't tell bus drivers or passengers to "shut the F up". If it wasn't for his rudeness, the driver later told me he would've said at Holland & Lynnhaven, "If you want the 29 to the mall, get off here."

Some of these kids wonder why no one (except their fellow, well, you know...) respects them.

The sad truth is that many people assume that all forms of mass transit bring in people like these kids. Actually, in all my bus rides (I've been riding buses since 2003), these punks were the exception, not the norm, for transit passengers.