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I'M A LIGHT-SKINNED BLACK WOMAN!

1/18/2013

58 Comments

 
Picture
Note: As always, these stories are presented in their original, unexpurgated form. In my view, a truthful story has more value than a diluted one. I hope this is not offensive.
--

I heard her before I saw her.


"Don't touch me," the voice said. This is on the 4, going slowly through the Central Area. Loud, belligerent voice, somewhere behind me, escalating, and then finally she stands up, introducing herself to one and all– 

"I'M A LIGHT-SKINNED BLACK WOMAN! YOU'RE GON' GET YOUR MOTHERFUCKIN' CRANIUM CRACKED, NIGGER!"

Any driver who's logged enough time on downtown routes knows this lady well. She's one for the ages. The second line she's just blurted out above originates from Dr. Dre's landmark 1992 album The Chronic, and as such it's hard for me to take seriously. This gal doesn't look anything like RBX. She doesn't need to, though. With 225 formless pounds, round glasses covering pudgy narrowed eyes, and a stentorian roar of a voice, she leaves an impression.


Her strategy is to lash out at the other customers, in the hope of a response. "Don't touch me," she'll say as boarding passengers brush past her. When they don't sit next to her, she'll blurt out– "you didn't sit next to me because I'm black, huh?!" Woe betide anyone who says anything- anything- in return.

"That dress looks nice," she yelled at a (white) lady sitting across from her one afternoon on the 3. 
"Thanks," the commuter said. "That's nice of you to say."
"The red is a nice color."
"I like it."
"It wouldn't work for me though. Wouldn't go well with my COMPLEXION."

Light-Skinned Black Woman– the name she loudly and frequently proclaims herself as for all to hear- was clearly hoping for some sort of response. White Commuter Lady admirably did not rise to the bait. A wise move, if I may say so.

The interesting thing about the Light-Skinned Black Woman is not that she hates white people. I'm not surprised by that. What surprises me is that she also hates all black people. And everyone else, too. She's very egalitarian in her hatred. She's awfully generous that way. Doesn't leave anyone out. "I didn't know there were any Jews left in America," she said once, to no one in particular. It's the sort of statement that begs for a contentious reply, and you struggle to refrain from going down that road. It would actually be fine if there was no one else on the bus but her and myself; I have the patience to find ways around her bluster. 

Other passengers do not. 


You can't blame them. The problems generally arise from her pointed comments at others, and the resulting back-and-forth escalation. A conversation on a 5 that began with the line "You're dog's cute" ended with her screaming "I hope your baby fucking dies inside your body, bitch!" at a pregnant woman. 


Sometimes, if she gets off without things going too badly, I can't help but thank all the other passengers for actively working to make that happen. She's a known quantity in the trenches. We regular bus-riding folk attempt to get along with her, and sometimes it's not so terrible. The folks up front will attempt to keep her distracted long enough to keep from yelling racial slurs at the top of her lungs. "I couldn't have done that without you guys," I once announced after she'd left. I couldn't keep my tremendous relief to myself.


A story from long ago gets the idea of the LSBW across–

She's at the front of the bus. A tall, built man, in some sort of military uniform, steps on. She engages him immediately with the following: "Hey, Army Guy. I bet they give you a big gun so you can go kill a lotta black people, huh?"
"What?"
"I said I bet they give you a bigass gun to go kill niggers with, huh? Government Man, killing black people for money. You probably like it. You like shooting niggers, don't you? Getting medals for it. I bet you kill a whole lotta bl–"
"Lady." The military man is speaking to her firmly and slowly. "Check this out. First of all, this is a Coast Guard uniform. And second of all. Maybe you didn't notice it– (big pause)– BUT I'M BLACK!"
The bus falls apart laughing. He continues, on a roll- "Girl, you need to start takin' TWO a those pills you take every mornin' instead a just the one, else you best be cuttin' that one pill in HALF, like this…."

After incidents like this and others, I would sometimes think to myself, "there's three million people out here. All of them are welcome on my bus, all of them– except this lady. Everyone else is my buddy. This girl can go jump in the lake."
This type of thought is a problem for me. I don't want to have to fear a certain passenger. I want to, within reason, be able to let anyone on the bus. Once she was on my bus and my happy 4 devolved into one very unhappy 4, and afterwards I felt relieved in the sense that, well, at least I won't see her for a while. Somehow you don't see her except occasio–

No. I was wrong. She was there the very next day, big and bright as life, right there at Third and Union. Noises build to a crescendo in the Central District, as we approach 23rd Avenue–

LSBW: "Don't touch me," she says to the two (black American) teenage girls sitting right behind me. "You guys are probably lesbians."
Girl 1: "The fu- what this girl jus' say to me?"
Girl 2: "I think she done said–"
LSBW: "I said don't touch me, faggot!"
Girl 1: "Lady, what the hell you talkin 'bout?"
LSBW: "Keep your hands to yourself."
Girl 2: "This girl need to shut the fuck up–"
Girl 1: "Hold up. I didn't say nothin' to you. Ain't nobody bothering your big ass, why you tryna start some shit?"
LSBW: "Stop trying to touch me with your hands that you've been masturbating with!"
Girl 2: "Wha–"
Girl 1: "The fuck is this bullshit? I didn't say–"
LSBW: "You been touchin' yourself with those hands, I don't want germs comin' from your hands gettin' on me."
Girl 2: "Hold up. This bitch say we les?"
Girl 1: "The fuck is you talkin' 'bout? Tryna say some shit about me that isn't true, callin' me lesbian, the fuck is your problem...dirty hands? What the fuck? I don't wanna touch your ugly ass. Stay the hell away from me."
Girl 2: "Yeah, tha's right. You don't wanna touch me, don't fuckin' touch me, girl–"
LSBW: "Don't pretend you ain't no lesbian, bitch. YOU BEEN MASTURBATING WITH THOSE HANDS! Don't touch me!"
Girl 1: "Ah can't believe this girl. I didn't say a motherfuckin' thing to you, I's just mindin' my own business and now you be assaulting me, attackin' my character tha's what this is-"
Girl 2: "Man, your hands is probably dirtier than anybody's. Look at 'em-"
LSBW: "Stop bothering me!"
Girl 1: "Okay, now that shit is funny. It's you that gots to stop botherin' me."
Girl 2: "Go sit somewhere else you don't like us."
Girl 1: "Go sit in the back. Stop bothering me."
LSBW: "You guys need to go get abortions-"

Girl 1 is nonplussed. The situation is so absurd she's more surprised than angry. Foul-mouthed as she may appear, she has not called LSBW any derogatory name. You can tell her profane self comes from a good place, and that she just wishes to cap the situation. She's trying to apply reason to what's going on. It's not working. In her astonishment she attempts a quick recap of the proceedings before launching further–

Girl 1: "What. The. Fuck is you talkin' about, sister? Man, you is an embarrassment to the people, takin' a shit like that up in here. Firs,' you be sayin' to everybody on this bus that me an' my friend is lesbians. Then, you be stirrin' some ca-razy mothafuckin' bullshit about I don't even know what the fuck–"
Me, stopped and turning around: "Hey. Whoa. Hey, HEY. Hey! Both a you are WAY better than this. Why you bringin' this energy inside of my house? Ain't nobody need to be yellin' about lesbians and abortions. We can talk about that later. I need both of you to do me a special favor. Don't say nothin'. I know she's bothering you, I know both of you wanna say a lotta stuff, but please. I'm askin' you for ten minutes."
Girl 1: "I'm a get the fuck off this bus, is what I'm gon' do. Come on, Keesh, les' go. You have a good day, bus driver. Sorry we got into such a big argument."
Me: "Oh man, you know it ain't your fault. You guys have a good rest of the day. I'm sorry this happened!"
Girl 1: "Me too! You have a good night too!"

Afterwards, LSBW and I got into conversation. A friend of mine attends the same church she goes to, where she apparently behaves herself; she has to be civil sometime. She was on her way to her mother's house, and she told me about the fried chicken she was going to eat. It was a relief to get her to talk to me instead of bothering other people– let alone a non-racist conversation at that. Could I be so lucky. She loves talking about the (stunningly unhealthy) food she enjoys.

I was writing above about the worrying thought that I might have to refuse her service. I'm troubled by the idea of rejecting someone because of who they are, as opposed to their particular behavior on a specific day. The latter makes sense. The former rubs against my conception of how I would like to treat people. There was a time (after she told the pregnant lady to have a miscarriage) where I wasn't quite sure where I stood on that line. I mused over the implications one day while driving the 5, back in the days when it turned into the 54/55 to West Seattle. You have a lot of time to think when driving. I pulled into the zone at Third and Pike, now an outbound 55. A lot of activity here, milling about, people getting on and off–

"EXCUSE ME DO YOU GO TO 35TH AND AVALON?"


There she is, big as life once again. You could've heard her yell the question from a block away. The awful truth is, I do go to 35th and Avalon. I hesitate for a split second before timidly saying, "yeah, I do."

"Good," she yelled. "I need to go to 35th and Avalon. I need to get there before six."
"Oh, we'll get there before six. We'll probably get there at five thirty." She's got one thing over on a lot of other passengers– she knows how to plan things in advance!

Now, I'm petrified. The 55 is an entirely Caucasian crowd. It's the height of PM rush hour, and everyone on the bus is white, and every one of them is wearing a suit. We're about to get on the viaduct, where it would be very awkward to pull over if something happens. And something is simply going to happen with this volatile mixture– a standing load of 80 white commuters who've been working all day, and one very unhappy Light-Skinned Black Woman.


She goes and sits down somewhere right behind me, where I can't see her through my mirror. I expect the heavens to fall. I'm bracing myself… and then, it's the funniest thing.


Nothing happens. There is silence.


She doesn't say anything to anyone, and nobody says anything to her. At the end of the ride I took a big, huge leap of faith, going out on what felt like a very precarious limb– I almost squeaked out the words, pretty sure they were a big mistake–

"Have a good day..."

But no! She responded with the world's gruffest version of "Thank you! God bless you!"

Afterwards I thought, Wow. She took the right dosage of meds today, that's for sure. How fantastic. After that day I always give her the benefit of the doubt, like I do with everyone else. Because sometimes she doesn't make anyone cry. Once, in a moment that should've caused an earthquake because of its shatteringly unexpectedness, she bumped into someone's dog– and apologized!

She's definitely still the Light-Skinned Black Woman, however. Make no mistake. As she got off at Virginia one afternoon, after I went out on a limb yet again and told her to "have a good one," she responded with something more along the lines of what I'd expected the first time–


"STOP FLIRTING WITH ME BECAUSE I'M BLACK!"


That's more like it. Everyone within earshot- the rich, the poor, the white, and the black– was totally nonplussed for a moment. As soon as she was gone we all started laughing. 

---

More stories and context here, here, and here.
58 Comments
Malinda
1/18/2013 07:54:04 am

I love this story. We all need to practice tolerance when it is most challenging. Thank you for sharing this.

Reply
Nathan
1/19/2013 01:59:05 am

Malinda, thank you! Great to hear from you. I saw Dan the Man in action at Redmond recently. Would love to hang out with the two of you sometime.

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Paul Margolis
1/20/2013 07:54:23 am

I too admire your tolerance, but you can't take away my revolving list of five people who will never ride my bus again. Not even if it is the last bus of the night. The LSBW is not on my list yet, when I see her walking in a zone near my bus, I cower in fear and PRAY that she is not heading for my door.

Chris link
1/22/2013 06:26:04 am

So awesome. I wonder how you remember all the dialogue while driving! I've never had to ride the 358, but the 16 can get interesting. And the 7 AKA the 49, for sure. Thanks for writing!

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Jeff Welch
1/22/2013 07:00:09 am

Reading this I wonder about the idea of "tolerance" as it applies to passenger use of racially charged and other offensive language on the bus. I have had passengers complain to me about another passenger's loud use of the n-word and faced their resultant anger when I didn't don a ninja outfit and physically throw them off the bus.

Recently I drew the line on keeping my mouth shut when a woman loudly proclaimed that fare enforcement officers on Rapid Ride are "just like the Nazis". I had to call b.s. on that one. Not sure that the engineers of the Holocaust were known for checking bus fares.

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Brandon Doyle
1/22/2013 04:01:58 pm

I just read your blog for the first time and what a great decision that was! You're a great writer. And the LSBW story was hilarious! Keep it up!

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Daniel
1/22/2013 04:46:11 pm

Love the stories, of LSBW and the rest. You are a very good writer, and your photography is lovely. Keep up the good work.

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Patricia Kayden
1/23/2013 12:30:46 am

Very funny story. Could see it as a Martin episode.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 01:47:09 am

Paul- Hope I don't ever do anything to get on your list of five!

Chris- Glad you like the site! I love language, and am especially fascinated with the way it's used in spoken form. I try to recreate everything on the site as faithfully as possible, even if it's repetitive. You're right about the 7/49- one of my favorites!

Jeff- The N-word is a tough one. To some people it's offensive depending on who's using it. Other people find it offensive all the time. And you're right, the FEO's definitely pale in comparison to Nazis! Though the gruff attitude and implied prejudice of many of the ones I've encountered simply beg for some sort of epithet.

Brandon- Thanks for taking a moment to do so! Glad you enjoyed it.
Daniel- Thanks for the kind words! It's a joy to get to share this stuff. Driving the bus keeps me grounded.

Patricia- Thank you. Martin certainly comes to mind!

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Jill
1/23/2013 01:47:41 am

This was great! I'm probably one of your commuters from time to time but have never witnessed LSBW. What a character! Your tolerance and ability to err on the side of kindness is inspirational. A lesson for all of us. Thank you, I'm going to make my surly teenagers read this and learn.

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Nathan Vass
1/23/2013 12:01:37 pm

Jill, thank you! Glad you've witnessed me but not LSBW. Hopefully it stays that way! To "err on the side of kindness-" love the phrase. Hope your teens enjoy the read!

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gordon schumway
1/23/2013 02:02:35 am

In about 2003, I was reading the Stranger and walking to the 48 bus stop at UW. A woman at the bus stop who vaguely fits this description shouted at me "THERE'S A BOMB IN THAT NEWSPAPER!"

It pleases me to think it's the same woman.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 11:59:38 am

It's gotta be her. Unmistakable. Sometimes I wonder how many conversations have taken place across this city regarding her- conversations she's likely completely unaware of! Let's hope she doesn't replace the weather as the most-discussed topic!

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Max Kingsbury
1/23/2013 02:12:26 am

I am pretty sure I had a run-in with this woman last fall. I was riding the 15 south through Ballard, and she was asking everyone who entered if they had change. One woman said no and sat down nearby. She began to berate the woman for her mode of dress, eventually calling her a "whore" as LSBW got up and left. I gave her a stare to try and disincentivize her strange behavior, and she started yelling at me instead. I think she called me a "fascist" and a "nazi" as she left. I could only laugh.

Sorry you have to deal with this nonsense regularly, and thanks for your service!

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cyntax
1/23/2013 03:15:36 am

I have to say I stumbled across your blog from a link at Balloon-Juice and it's great. This LSBW piece does a tremendous job of capturing various voices, but reading your other pieces I've been struck by some of the similarities between teaching and driving a bus: the outcomes often depend on how you approach your student or passenger. And of course sometimes that person's determined that things won't go well, but you never know--you can make a difference at any given time.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 12:25:46 pm

Cyntax (cool name),

So true. The approach essentially determines everything. Incremental differences mean a great deal to me.

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Janet in Virginia
1/23/2013 03:44:22 am

Nathan, you are a wonderful writer. So glad I found your blog today. Your riders are lucky to have you, especially the LSBW.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 12:22:21 pm

Max- That is indeed her. She loves going up to the Safeway at the northern end of the 15 route. Sorry you had to put up with her for those moments. Offering the service is my pleasure! I could easily pick comfy, no-nothing "retirement run" type routes, but such endeavors just don't satisfy one's soul.

Janet- You are kind. I'm glad you enjoy the writing! And as for LSBW- I've noticed that she's rarely antagonistic towards me specifically; I wonder if she's thankful that I don't shut the bus down and call the police whenever I see her- although, realities and sticky legalities make this impractical, as much as I might like to.

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sharl
1/23/2013 05:40:05 am

Thanks for this post! It offers a very interesting insight into a situation that I'm sure is faced by many folks who deal with the public on a daily basis.

One issue/question that came up <a href="http://www.balloon-juice.com/2013/01/23/open-thread-1525/">over at the site</a> where I saw this linked was (to summarize/simplify it), 'at what point does a bus driver decide that a passenger is being too disruptive to be allowed to remain on board? And how much discretion does the driver have in making this call?'

Some of the folks that weighed in on that discussion said that the general rules are provided by the government agency that controls the transportation system, and that those rules can be much tougher in some places than others. San Francisco was cited as one jurisdiction where there is apparently low tolerance for abusive passengers, even where no physical violence is involved.

You seem to be handling this as well as is possible. But if LSBW were to, say, move over by someone and get in their face (say, within a couple inches or so) and start yelling, I assume that would be crossing the line, and you'd have to intervene, wouldn't you?

Thanks again for this forum.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 01:06:44 pm

Shari- and the folks at B-J,

And thank you for reading! I just read the entire list of responses on Balloon Juice. A great read, with many interesting opinions and stories in their own right- not to mention the humor of having the Hillary Clinton comments peppering in and eventually fusing with this discussion in a hilarious meta fashion! Great stuff.

In answer to some of the queries summarized in your post here- in situations like this, my experience has taught me that intervening in a situation usually means escalating it. This can be very unwise. To leave her on the bus vs. kick her off the bus are both active decisions on my part, as a poster on BJ mentioned.

What are the benefits of either action? We can discuss the benefits of the greater good and bring up valid points about maintaining decorum and ensuring that people are respected. However, a bus driver is not an enforcer, but a peacekeeper. (S)he can ask that customers leave. He cannot forcibly eject them. In the sense we are discussing, peacekeeping generally means deescalation. I engage LSBW in the way I do not as a faux therapist but as a peacekeeper.

Now, all that is within the confines of the assumption that I can even kick her off the bus. The language of the rules on this is foggy and highly interpretable (and off-limits as something I can write about!). Any interpretation I might offer here would likely be followed by a corresponding counter-interpretation by one of my colleagues.

Speaking in general terms, I offer the following not as a comment on policy but as a conclusion that any reader could arrive at-

Suffice it to say that deciding which members of the public get to enjoy public spaces is a not a job the public, but the law. In Seattle bus drivers are not police officers. With reference to most transit systems, ejecting a customer is a time-consuming and problematic decision that exhausts a lot of resources that are almost always more sorely needed elsewhere, that sometimes does not mitigate the problem and occasionally amplifies it, and inconveniences many, sometimes hundreds, of people. Shutting down a bus is big, and is usually done when safety is endangered. A driver's top priority is safety.

What can be said without any ambiguity is that LSBW is most assuredly Not a safety issue. She presents no physical safety hazard to anyone in her vicinity- other than perhaps the remote possibility of ear damage from high decibel volume!

Jest aside, all she does is make unpleasant noise. In perspective, this is a minor, if annoying, offense. I should mention something that isn't directly apparent in the post- LSBW rarely rides a single bus for more than 5-10 minutes. The encounters I write about here are short.

Some folks might think getting yelled at in public is a terrible thing and grounds for ruining one's day. It isn't. In light of the things that go on in the bus and elsewhere, such a thing is, dare I say it, a non-issue. A friend speaking on such matters once said that "public spaces are for everyone. And in public spaces, you have a constitutional right to be a jackass."

I appreciate the variety of opinions, and particularly enjoyed reading from those with backgrounds in public service themselves.

Getting back to your response here- yes, if LSBW did that, I would enthusiastically intervene. Thank you, Shari, and everyone else, for enjoying the post and giving some thought to the issue! Stop by on my bus if you visit Seattle!

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Nathan
1/23/2013 01:11:58 pm

Why do I keep calling you Shari, when it so clearly says Sharl up there? My apologies.

sharl
1/23/2013 07:37:53 pm

Thank you for the response! I took the liberty of pasting it into comments over at B-J; fwiw, the post there that linked over here is now on the second page (the front pagers over there were very active yesterday).
And no problem on the spelling of the nym; 'twas close enough.
Keep up the good writing and life of curiosity (while staying safe, of course)!

Jeff Welch
1/24/2013 02:20:05 am

Sharl,

Drivers have very little discretion, and no real power to remove anyone from the bus. By policy, we may ask (not tell) a disruptive passenger to leave, but if they refuse there is little that can be done that wouldn't cause further disruption or worse.

Keep in mind too that passengers are allowed to have weapons. Drivers can be fired merely for being in possession of pepper spray.

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Jeff Welch
1/24/2013 02:32:45 am

Sorry about the multiples, Nathan. The blog was kicking back posting error messages.

Jeff Welch
1/24/2013 02:20:12 am

Sharl,

Drivers have very little discretion, and no real power to remove anyone from the bus. By policy, we may ask (not tell) a disruptive passenger to leave, but if they refuse there is little that can be done that wouldn't cause further disruption or worse.

Keep in mind too that passengers are allowed to have weapons. Drivers can be fired merely for being in possession of pepper spray.

Reply
Jeff Welch
1/24/2013 02:20:28 am

Sharl,

Drivers have very little discretion, and no real power to remove anyone from the bus. By policy, we may ask (not tell) a disruptive passenger to leave, but if they refuse there is little that can be done that wouldn't cause further disruption or worse.

Keep in mind too that passengers are allowed to have weapons. Drivers can be fired merely for being in possession of pepper spray.

Reply
Nathan
1/25/2013 01:25:03 am

Excellent points, Jeff. You put it better and more succinctly than I could!

Russ in Iowa
1/23/2013 05:58:39 am

Moved to Iowa 2 yrs ago, but was a long time resident of Seattle. I love the Seattle bus system and I have such a deep admiration and respect for the bus drivers. And I have stories to tell, but none of them I could tell as well as this one. Thank you. For me, to ride the bus is a declaration that I'm a human being.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 01:15:17 pm

Russ, thanks for your wonderful words. I'm glad you enjoy the bus system, which I adore. I wouldn't be working for them if I felt otherwise. Your phrase is a brilliant one- "to ride the bus is a declaration that I'm a human being." I'll have to think on that further.

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Bob
1/23/2013 08:09:38 am

Wow - that's some really nice writing. Got directed here from B-J as well, with promises of a "good story". Better than good, more than a story: uplifting. The human spirit - one sincere good word, we almost forgot it was there, but suddenly out it comes. Good in so many ways. Maybe you'll make a book out of all these stories. The role of the bus driver becomes suddenly special and unique - part observer, part participant, humanity in all its forms passing through your doors...and out again. But best of all - the license to say hello to, smile at, all who step onto your bus. Good luck, and safe driving.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 01:18:27 pm

Bob- I'm glad you find the story uplifting. That is the intended effect of the piece, and I'm thrilled that it came across- I'm not out to lampoon or make caricatures out of my fellow humans in Seattle, but to celebrate the good that does exist out here, everywhere. In the latter half of your post you outline my favorite reasons for being a bus driver in the first place. Despite my many interests (and BFA degree), I can think of no job I could enjoy more.

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Jeff Blanks
1/23/2013 12:59:41 pm

Some things should not be tolerated. Abuse is one of them. If she can behave in church, which apparently she's proven she can do, she can behave on the bus. You don't have to kick her off because of "who she is"; what does that even mean? She's abusive. Tell her you'll throw her off the bus the moment she says the first truly abusive thing, especially to one of your passengers.

I realize that this makes me not as good a person as you or anyone else posting here, but I'll pay that price if it means no one gets abused.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 01:10:25 pm

Jeff- I don't think you're a better or worse person for your opinion, which is a well-reasoned one. I appreciate you sharing it. As an employee, discussing Metro policy and procedure is not allowed; but I can refer you to my response to Shari's post above, where I do make some general comments you might find interesting.

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Nathan
1/23/2013 01:13:49 pm

Thanks as well for reading the site, Jeff, let alone leaving a comment! I'm thrilled at the response this post has gotten. Let's just hope it doesn't get to the titular character- then I'd really have some 'splainin to do...

Jeff Welch
1/24/2013 02:27:18 am

Nathan,

What makes you think that you or any other employee is not allowed to publicly discuss Metro policy? Of course you can. If anything, you may be in more danger of discipline by writing about passengers without their consent. If you want to know more about County policy, go to the County web site and do a search on "employee use of social media".

Jeff Welch
1/24/2013 02:30:48 am

Jeff,

I am occasionally asked (usually angrily) to "kick someone off the bus". My question is - how do you propose that be done? All we are really empowered to do is ask someone to leave. If they refuse, our options are limited to calling for help, which may or may not come without much delay - or at all. Suggestions?

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Nathan Vass
1/25/2013 01:28:05 am

Jeff,

You're right, all we can do is ask them. I wonder what the ideal solution would be here. Any of the options that come to mind are expensive or otherwise resource-draining. Thank goodness so much of this type of stuff can be mitigated with merely a good attitude.

As for discussing policy, I'm going off of what my base chiefs have told me. Looking forward to reading up on what the County has to say.

Jeff Welch
1/27/2013 12:22:29 am

Nathan, I had a blog of my own for a couple of years. If you have been told by a base chief that you can't publicly discuss policy on your own time, you've been told wrong. Think about it - if this were true, then we wouldn't have had drivers testifying (in uniform no less) in front of the city and county transportation committees, or attending transportation advocacy day in Olympia. You are as free to discuss policy as any other citizen. Just don't do it on the job, using county resources, or while implying that you're speaking as a representative of Metro.

Of more legitimate concern are stories about passengers, relating on the job experiences. I've written and published many myself - but no more. Reason being that I was once asked a question that I didn't have a good answer for: "What if someone you wrote about read your story and recognized themself?"

In other words, if your LSBW read your piece, or someone passed it along to her along with subsequent comments from readers, how would she react? Would she have grounds for complaint or even legal action? It could be argued (I've been advised) that passengers (even annoying, nutty ones) have a reasons expectation that public employes not violate their right to privacy and confidentiality. The addition of editorial commentary adds the additional potential for a claim of slander.

Food for thought. Be well.

hamletta
1/23/2013 01:13:14 pm

Bless you and your patience.

LSBW kinda reminds me of a woman in my parish. Aaaand I'll just stop right there.

Reply
Nathan
1/23/2013 01:21:18 pm

Thank you, Hamletta. Bless you right back! I hope she's not too much of a challenge to deal with, or that there are at least occasional bright spots in the interaction.

Reply
Lina
1/24/2013 04:46:06 am

I manage bus drivers in public transit across the country and we work really hard to train our drivers in tolerance and situation diffusion that just seems to come naturally to you. Excellent job.

Reply
Nathan
1/25/2013 01:28:58 am

Lina,

reading these words of yours soothes my soul. Thank you for your understanding and appreciation!

Reply
Peter
1/24/2013 11:58:49 am

I have had many run ins with LSBW on the 15, the 3 and the 4 over the years, and your description is perfect. I usually try to give passengers a quiet warning when she steps on a bus. I feel like the average downtown metro rider is equipped to handle quite a bit on the bus.
The biggest challenges I have faced are when she steps in to my place of business (a Starbucks). When she begins to accost my employees and customers my position demands I remove her. Fortunately after being asked to leave multiple times she no longer returns to my store. She is a terror indeed.
Great write up Nathan.

Reply
Nathan
1/25/2013 01:31:01 am

Peter,

It sounds like you handle it very well. I like the idea of giving the passengers a quiet forewarning- I might have to steal that idea, if I may!

Starbucks sounds like a much more challenging environment. Those customers are definitely not as well-prepared to encounter such things as Metro riders, as you mention- a good point as well. Glad she doesn't come in there anymore. Thanks for reading!

Reply
Terri
1/26/2013 02:09:48 pm

Nathan -

I just came across your blog via the Slog and I really love it. You have a real talent for writing. Have you ever thought about submitting to McSweeney's (Internet Tendency)? I think your style would fit in nicely!

Also, I used to ride the 358 and I vividly remember coming across LSBW several months ago. She started off pretty upbeat just talking loudly about fast food but then woe to the young white guy who barely brushed her knee as he walked past. I felt really bad for him. I was sitting across from her, wearing a knee-length maroon skirt and trying to hide behind my big sunglasses. She didn't really notice me until I went to stand up to get off at my stop when she stopped in the middle of a sentence and said "I'm eyeing that skirt." I quickly exited before I got a chance to hear what she said after that. I'm going to be optimistic and hope it was just a friendly compliment. :)

Reply
Nathan
1/27/2013 04:38:08 am

Jeff-

Very interested in your response, thank you. The remarks about discussing policy are reassuring and make sense, but as you say, the possibility of legal action on the part of a passenger is indeed food for thought and anxiety-inducing.

As for slander (or I guess libel, since this is printed matter), I feel that a defamation suit would be difficult, as the burden would be on the prosecution to prove the four points for defamation in Washington state- falsity, unprivileged communication, fault on the part of the defendant (LSBW, in this case), and compensable damages.

I imagine she would have difficulty proving compensable damages, and communication is generally considered privileged if there's veracity to the statements being made, which takes care of point one. Of course, finding witnesses for LSBW's behavior in general would be not be difficult, but locating passengers who were on the bus in this particular incident likely would be.

And of course, I like to think I haven't made any untruthful or directly negative comments about LSBW herself, but merely related her behavior in a balanced and accurate way.

I'm really glad you posted this, Jeff. thank you. Definitely something I'll keep in mind for future posts.

Reply
Nathan
1/27/2013 04:46:01 am

Terri,

I haven't thought about McSweeney's- thank you! I'll look into it! Very happy that you're enjoying the blog.

It sounds like you got out of there at just the right time. Sunglasses can be a lifesaver sometimes!

Reply
Trevor Hoit
2/16/2013 10:36:29 am

LOL, as soon as I read the title, I knew who you were talking about. I've had her ask people for money and when they declined she said "BECAUSE I'M BLACK?!" And one time a young couple were exchanging small kisses and she went off on them to "get a room!", etc...

Reply
Nathan
2/17/2013 04:49:41 pm

Trevor, That's funny that you knew exactly who it was. We're definitely remembering the same person, no doubt about it! Thanks for reading.

Reply
AllPeople (AP) Gifts [soaptalk AT hotmail DOT com] link
4/8/2013 06:55:08 am

.
The ONLY way that a Mixed-Race person could be
seen as being racially-"Black" is via an adherence to
the racist-'One-Drop Rule' (an socially-constructed
"rule" which was created by racial-supremacists
in order to degrade BLACK lineage -- and which
was also and legally-banned in the U.S. in 1967).
.
http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4162
.
http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4160
.
.
This also means that any BLACK person who
supports the black-lineage degrading' /
racist-'One-Drop Rule' either has no
self-esteem, is insane or is an idiot.
.
.
THERE IS absolutely NO SUCH THING AS A
so-called 'LIGHT-SKINNED BLACK' person.
.
http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4160
.
The LINKS in the SIDEBAR of my YouTube
CHANNEL explain this in greater detail.
.
https://www.youtube.com/user/apgifts
.
.
More people need to realize and accept the fact
that THERE IS actually NO SUCH THING AS
A so-called "LIGHT-SKINNED BLACK" person
... but rather ... such individuals and groups are
actually people who are of a 'Multi-Generational
Multiracially-Mixed' (MGM-Mixed) Lineage
that some may have been pressured or
encouraged to ignore or downplay.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4160
.
.
People of Mixed-Race lineage should NOT
feel pressured to 'identify' according to
any standards other than one's own.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4157
.
.
The legal -application of the racist-'One-Drop Rule'
(ODR) was banned in the U.S. way back in 1967.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4162
.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/253286018082418/permalink/253341891410164
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4187
.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/253286018082418/permalink/253341281410225
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
Listed below are related Links of 'the facts' of the histories
of various Mixed-Race populations found within the U.S.:
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
There is no proof that a 'color-based slave hierarchy'
(or that 'color-based social-networks') ever existed
as common entities -- within the continental U.S.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4154
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4153
.
It was the 'Rule of Matriliny (ROM) --
[a.k.a. 'The Rule of Partus' (ROP)] -- and
NOT the racist-'One-Drop Rule' (ODR) --
that was used to 'create more enslaved
people' on the continental U.S.
.
This is because the chattel-slavery system that was
once found on the antebellum-era, continental U.S.
was NOT "color-based" (i.e. "racial") -- but rather
-- it was actually "mother-based" (i.e. 'matrilineal').
.
http://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/309460495741441
.
There were many ways (and not solely the sexual assault
and sexual exploitation of the women-of-color) in which
'white' lineage entered the familial bloodlines of
enslaved-people found on the continental U.S.
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4238
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4239
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4240
.
.
An 'Ethnic' category is NOT the
same thing as a "Race" category:
.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/4236
.
http://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/300777016632181
.
Other Topics:
.
https://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/279223868853420
.
https://www.facebook.com/allpeople.gifts/posts/164203590359746
.
http://www.facebook.com/notes/%C2%ADallpeople-gifts/the-facts-on-m%C2%ADixed-race/321878451159708
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.

Reply
Nathan
4/8/2013 01:07:48 pm

Hello AllPeople,

As a mixed-race person myself, your comments, links, and the contrasting views they offer are of interest; though of course they would best be shared with the only person who dares regularly call the Light Skinned Black Woman a Light Skinned Black Woman- that is, herself!

Reply
Nita
11/16/2015 09:25:54 am

I know exactly who she is, just from the title! As the 3/4 is one of my favorite routes. Though I could never write about her as eloquently as you. It took me a bit to recognize her by face, but I always knew when I heard her voice coming from behind my seat!
You are a great writer and story teller...but more than that- a good person!
Keep up the good work!

Reply
Nathan
12/16/2015 11:32:21 pm

Thank you, Nita! Thank you so much. I love how you instantly knew who I was writing about! Always great to see you on there on the route.

Reply
Mia
12/31/2015 04:14:26 pm

I saw LSBW about a month or so when I was on the 7. I was seated behind the driver (not you) and she was next to me. I had my walking stick and a couple of bags. I accidentally touched her...not a good idea! I apologized and tried to put all of my stuff in my lap hoping to make enough space for her. The bus was crowded and I felt trapped.

A man entered at a stop and he wanted to sit down. Again, not a good idea...she didn't want a MAN to sit next to her. He moved to the rear of the coach. Hello, the bus is a very public space! She spouted off more nonsense.

After awhile, more passengers left. I was finally able to move...which definitely WAS a good idea. What a relief!

Reply
Nathan
1/1/2016 02:12:16 pm

Yes, that was definitely her! I was chuckling thinking about her while riding the subway in Paris. She would NOT have cared for the cramped quarters one bit, and I wondered how she would have articulated that to the Parisians all around!

Glad your situation ended as it did.

Reply
Jeff Welch
1/14/2016 10:20:23 pm

I had this woman on my bus tonight. She is obviously mentally ill and has a lot of anger generated by perceptions associated with her mental illness. I do not think that it is O.K. to be writing about this woman, using your unique position to generate entertainment for others. I wish you would reconsider your bloggong strategy. As a person with mental illness, I certainly would not want a government employee observing me at my worst, and then sharing those observations with the public. I believe that this is inaproppriate.

Reply
Nathan
1/15/2016 11:10:58 am

Hello Mr. Welch,

Good to hear from you, and thanks for sharing your opinion. The most interesting thing about this post is the way people react to it, as it was never intended to be funny. Humor generally requires exaggeration or interpretation outside of ordinary context, neither of which the writeup does. It simply documents a number of interactions I've had with her, and for reasons outlined in an earlier response by me cannot be legally construed as libel.

This blog is intended not as mere entertainment, if I may say so, but (as stated in the first post) as an outlet for me to share certain perspectives and positive moments I experience on the bus, as positive incidents in life tend to be underreported.

I would consider my interactions with LSBW, a passenger I like and who now enjoys riding my bus, to be such. What sort of drivers would we be, after all, if we only enjoyed dealing with the easy/docile customers?

Having said all that, I did write this three years ago, and some of my perspectives have changed on the way. If you've been keeping up with the blog you've likely observed this, and you may have noticed subsequent posts involving her take more care in how they step around description.

But I would be disappointed if we lived in a society where describing a person's actions in public in a neutral, truthful, and honest manner is something people consider worthy of censure. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Reply
Nicola C link
12/11/2020 04:21:36 pm

Greatt post thankyou

Reply



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