Commuting Musings...

I was on the bus today, like any other day... and guys. I'm still trying to figure out what this lady on my bus ride was doing today...

If you've been on a Japanese bus, you've probably seen the ones where there is a door in the front and a door in the middle. From the middle door, the seating in the back is a 2-seat configuration on both sides - narrow middle aisle. In the front of the bus are single seaters for disability-seating.

Now bare with me here, but there's always a pattern of how people embark the bus and take the bus. Conventional bus riding goes like this...

1. Most people will take the single-seaters first.
2. Then the 2-seaters.
3. People don't want to sit near the folks in the 2-seaters, so they stand in the front. Also good options for people who don't stay on the bus for long and need to get off without pushing through a crowded bus.
4. Bus is getting crowded, people are now sitting next to people in the 2 seaters.
5. All seats are full.
6. Standing space only.

Today, I'd say the bus was at... a weird limbo of 2 and 3. There were people standing in the front but not many people sitting in the 2-seaters in the back. When I got on the bus, I went to one of the empty 2-seaters. There were still a few 2-seaters opened when a woman got on the bus and looked at my direction... giving my seat a longggggggggg look.

She didn't sit. She looked long and hard at her other options. Seat next to mine, the one in front of that, the back seats... looked at the seat next to mine again.

Then the bus started moving. She finally settled into the seat in front of the one that was next to my 2-seater. She was very hesitant to sit in it, but she did regardless.

Didn't really think much of it at the time.

But then, she stands up. Leaves her bag on the seat. But stands up. Looks at me, and only me.

Now I'm thinking: Does she just not want to sit??? Why is she not standing in the front if she wants to stand??? Why is she looking at just me???

Now the bus makes a few more stops and more riders get on. Because this woman in standing in a narrow aisle, she's obviously blocking people from getting to the other empty 2-seaters because she is standing. Not to mention her bag chilling on a 2-seater that could be sat on by someone.

Overall a bit of an unconventional moment here... lots of questions.

When I got off and looked back into the bus, I noticed she wasn't standing anymore. I'm not sure where she went but...

I'm very confused.

Maybe it's because I took her seat............... I'll never know.