another bus experience.

I am so behind in posting on my blog that I am almost ashamed to post here...but never you fear, there are upcoming posts on part 2 of Sicily, Bolzano, and my second weekend in London. Just don't hold your breath.

However, despite my lack of posting, this is a story that just must be noted. I feel like all of my funniest experiences are because of the bus system. Last night I was riding home on the bus (6pm on a Sunday night, an adventure in itself!), pretty tired, having just been in London for the weekend. I was minding my own business, being pushed every so often (every 5 seconds) but basically just listening to my iPod and reading while leaning against a wall. Just before my stop, (literally, JUST out of walking distance) the bus stopped for no apparent reason. Immediately, my mind is flashing to past experiences (most specifically, to when the bus I was on broke down). All of the passengers were yelling at the driver, so I pulled off my iPod to listen in. Apparently the driver had just decided to make his bus a deposito, which means he randomly decided his shift was over and he wasn't going any further. "C'è un'altro bus dietro di questo!" There's another bus behind this one! He shouted at us. We all clamered off the bus, pushing and shoving to get there first (I will never understand this about human nature). After I boarded the second bus, I stuck my headphones back in but pulled them out quickly because there was a HUGE commotion going on in front of me. An entire crowd was hovering around old signora, who was...lying on the FLOOR!?! What the heck was going on? Everyone was shouting, gesturing wildly, and then suddenly I realize BLOOD is spurting all over the place. The signora gets herself up and everyone is screaming, get some towels! Call an ambulance! The woman is wandering around on the bus, circling, shouting at everyone, while meanwhile blood is GUSHING from her leg. People are urging her to sit down to stop the flow, but no! She, too, must be a part of the fray, and paces the bus while blood flows on to the floor everywhere she steps. People decide to get off the bus because the driver won't leave until an ambulance arrives. The old woman is PISSED! She wants to go home! She doesn't even seem to notice that there is literally a LAKE forming around her! All of the signore on the bus are standing around her, a little protectice flock, all discussing the situation. Apparently in the dash from the other bus, she tripped on the step into the bus ("una scalina altissima!" "a HIGH step!") and must have hurt herself pretty severely for the amount of blood that was going on. Well, it was abundantly clear that the bus was going nowhere fast, so I got out and called Marcello...my hero on a white horse (rather, in a silver Citroen) who immediately came and picked me up out of the madness.