Public transit adventures: episode 566

Riding home on the bus yesterday, I sat near the back of the bus next to a pregnant woman. She was normally dressed, had a little knapsack, and a pillow with her. Everything was going fine, I sitting there contemplating why dogs always want to play with me despite my absolute hatred with touching them--you know, just the usual time-wasting things you think of on the bus. Anyway, some guy gets on the bus, who looks, to be generous, a little cruddy. He sits down on the back bench opposite the pregnant woman. After a minute, the guy leans over and asks the woman, "Have you considered calling the so-and-so shelter?" The pregnant woman gave him a blank stare and asked him what he was talking about. He said, "You are homeless, right?" at which he pointed at the pillow. The lady said no, in fact, she wasn't. HOW AWKWARD! Then they had to sit next to each other for the rest of the bus ride. I can't believe how I would feel if someone looked at me and thought I was homeless. I had a huge self-esteem deflation once when someone asked me if I bought my clothes at K-Mart. (Which in fact I did, but had hoped that it wasn't so obvious.) That poor lady probably went home and vowed never to bring a pillow with her on the bus ever again.