Paratransit waiting room

What’s to be said about waiting rooms? Depends on what you’re waiting for. To audition for a play, at the doctor’s office or, as was today, the Metropolitan Transit’s branch that provides reduced taxi fare to those that qualify. The folks waiting at Paratransit waited with an array of personal mobility equipment. Pretty much what you’d expect – wheel chairs, both manual and electric, and canes – a wide variety of those. I chose a single full length under arm crutch. For me, that was because of stability due to my recent sprained knee, as well as the hip replacement and multiple foot surgeries over the years.

I signed in with appointment letter in hand and took my seat, waiting to be called. I sat next to a very fit woman who was accompanying her friend as his driver. I glanced at her iPad. She was looking at ‘Menopause’ presumably for herself. Her friend got called and she began chatting about his condition. Listen to this: he had been shot in the back of the head accidentally during a post-game celebration, the 49ers Super Bowl win. The bulletin penetrated his skull. She showed me the image on the iPad. The bullet didn’t exit. Physically he was ‘fine’. She thought he still was forgetful and not fully ‘with it’. She also thought Paratransit was unnecessary in his case, because she could drive him anywhere. I thought maybe that’s true, but she may not be around 24/7. In any case, the image was disturbing.

It reinforced my dismay about guns being used for ‘celebrations’. Once a weapon is fired the bullet goes somewhere. It’s hardly likely to hit the moon. And in this instance, an innocent bystander.

And then I got called for my interview. As I left, she said, nice talking to you.