Worst ride.

Addressed to @AngloAustrian -

@AngloAustrian: "I have no desire to get into a fight with you."

Me: Good, Me neither! I am just here to give a description of what I felt at the time and what someone else in my situation could potentially feel. If you are a stronger person than me, good for you. I have no desire to fight with you or for that matter anyone else either.

@AngloAustrian: All I am saying is that different cultures have different perceptions and it is possible that your perception of "loud" may not be the same as another's.

Me: Agreed. May be it was just me like you said. But if I am requesting you and I am in trouble, why would someone have so much ego to understand another human being? Also, like i said in my earlier post, this is not my first ride, and certainly upto 24 weeks I have been regularly slugging. So I definately do not think that just in a span of 1 day my ears went from just being sensitive to super-sensitive. Anyways, I do take your point and still go further that it could just be me. If consistently a rider requests you that something is wrong with her, can you please lower the radio, instead of helping why should someone inturn increase the radio volume?

@AngloAustrian: Your English is good enough to be able to state that the driver spoke in a "sly tone." If the radio is blaring so loudly that your "heart is beating too fast", a "sly tone" is not possible.

Me: And how do you decide that? Are you a literature expert? Or are you a Psychologist? If you are, you will need to proove me, for me to be convinced that you are indeed talking a real statistical report.

@AngloAustrian: I, too, speak more than one language, and know the difference between "said" and "shouted" in both, as you obviously do. You also know the meaning of "sly" otherwise you would not have used that particular word. You just can't shout in a "sly tone."

Me: Good for you that you speak multiple languages and you can make the difference between both. "Sly" is a very common British english word for "Cunning" and coming from india we use both these word very commonly in everyday life. I dont think we use neither "Sly" or "Cunning" in an everyday american english here in america. Again, that is besides the point. There are many words that I would use normally, that many here will not. I have been raised - reading writing in "Queens" English as they say here although my mother tongue is not english. You can presumably argue that you speak British too and you dont use these words or whatever. I dont have any explaination for that. I just know I do and many of my friends bought up in a similar environment do. And I can guarantee on you this. Again, when I was writing, my state of mind was disturbed, I have written the post right after I reached work, first thing that morning. The words may not have come to me as fast as it would in normal circumstances. It would be pointless for me to explain it to you since you seem to have already made up your mind about me. Per what you just said, lets put it this way may be my IQ level could be lower than yours since you seem to think faster to think than me.

@AngloAustrian: Now, having said that, the women should not have treated you as disrespectfully as they did, no matter how they perceived your behavior.

Me: Thanks! Thats all I am trying to say here. I was shocked to find a woman treating another woman so immaturely. Even if I got "sensitive" to loudness [per you], when I am repeatedly telling the ladies that something doesnt feel right with my body, instead of helping she is making fun of me. Thats what angered me. Again, if you think this was all me, I leave it to you. Like I said before, I have no intention of convincing or forcing anyone what I felt. It is all up to you. I am a person who doesnot like playing with risks and if I feel that I didnot enjoy the ride, I have a right to speak what I felt. You can choose to accept or reject.

@AngloAustrian: All I am saying is that the way you wrote the post makes me wonder how loud the radio really was. And your note that the driver had a bag the "size of a bean bag" makes me also wonder about your sense of entitlement. There are many reasons, per slug rules, and other reasons, why drivers should not/do not take extra passengers, especially during rush hour, which you should know, having slugged for 3-4 years.

Me: No I did not know that you cant take the 4th passenger - and I am honest about that. And yes, I have indeed slugged for 3- 4 years, I am living in this area from 2006 and since the time I moved here, I have been slugging. Now again, if you dont want to believe that either, it is up to you. But I have not been aware that you cant take the 4th rider for whatever reasons. Good to know it today. Also, as a driver, I always took the 4th rider just thinking that I have an extra space and someone will get a ride. Thats all.

@AngloAustrian: Lastly, for your own safety, getting into a fight with the driver, who appears to be unreasonable (to you) is not the safest course of action.

Me: Okay, Let me clarify - when I stepped into the car, everthing was normal. You cant judge a person by the way he or she looks and she appeared to be quite normal. Like I said, read my post again, it was a preety clean car. They were about late 30's and 40's. At that age, every woman normally that I have encountered in my last 3- 4 years of slugging seemed quite sane and understanding of others. She did not in any way appear un-reasonable.


@AngloAustrian: The driver appears to have been driving safely, as you make no mention of speeding, tailgating etc. You say you are "polite," but then you "cursed" the driver and threatened to call the police! In the end, you just succeeded in blowing the whole situation up,
whereas if you had been quiet, stuck something in your ears, got through the ride and got out, you would have had an easier time.

Me: I agree with you here. Yes, the driver did not tailgate or speed. But what do you do if are just scared for something going seriously wrong with your body. Trust me its more easier to advice when you are sane than when you are in a situation like that. You mind is not a state of thinking. Sticking something into my ears was not helping - Remember i shut up until we reached Shirlington and when it was just unbearable, I spoke up. Please read my post again. And plus, instead of helping me, if someone tells you that she is going to take you for a ride across the town, in that case anyone in my place would have called the police. My cell phone battery had died and she was literally making fun of me for the remaining time. That when i cursed her. May be you are too calmer person to handle this situation so easily. At 24 weeks, the fetus is absolutely capable of hearing any noises inside and outside the womb. At 8'0 clock in the morning, if someone hears that loud a music, even adults get startled. Trust me, the baby was moving so much which was very unusual in that time of the morning because every expectant mother knows the patterns of the baby movements and I could feel my muscles soaring up, I am not making this up. But again, am not here to convince you.

@AngloAustrian: You need to think carefully how you handle the next "nightmare" that you encounter because your safety is at risk. You ask how I would handle it? Just like that, put something in my ears, shut up, and get there in one piece and, oh, a heart attack is something completely different to a loud radio.

Me: Good for you. Like I said, its much harder than just saying. Its much more easier to advice when you are not in someones shoes. On a normal day, yes, I can take your approach. But being 6 months pregnant - I expected a woman to understand a woman which apparantly I was completely wrong with assuming. Also, may be things are not associated with loud music like you said, but just the fact, that someone is not feeling right should be a thought of any human to consider.


@AngloAustrian: And if a loud radio or lack of A/C would affect you so badly and cause "labor pains" at 24 weeks which would cause you to "throw up" in someone's car, then you need to seriously reconsider how you get to work in the morning and possibly see your doctor.

Me: Yes I did contact my doctor and here is what I was told: There are many things that can cause harmonal or many other changes during pregnancy. Labor pains are not in my control or for that matter anyones. A lot of things happen during pregnancy and not even doctors have a reasonable explaination for that. If you would like to speak to my doctor, I can provide you with her contact details since you seem to be an expert in the medical field.

@AngloAustrian: Also, your ride took place in the morning, presumably early like at 6 or 7. Although muggy and not great, it's not THAT hot in the mornings (in fact, I looked it up - the temp in the morning on August 2 was about 68-70 degrees at that time) that you should be throwing up because the A/C is not on, even with the windows closed.

Me: Well, I think your heat bearing capacity seems to be quite good as well. Seems like you are indeed a "Super Human". Also, let me tell you that the temperature for sure was not in 60's or 70's. In fact the average temperature for July-August of 2010 has been between 90 - 100 deg F. [Please contradict if with a proof]. Now again, I dont have exact number neither do you, unless you are in a meteorology department. Coming to the conclusion,I said this several times,and say it again, you can infer what ever you want to from this.

@AngloAustrian: So, as Trapps says, there is always another side to the story.
Me: Sure, Like I said, I am not here to change your opinions or convince you for anything. I am just here to say what I felt:).
The slugging rules say, that you are "Slugging at your own risk". In reality even if you are slugging at your own risk and even if the car is someone elses, it doesnot give a right to the driver to kidnap or murder a fellow passenger. That is still an offence under law. Like they say, a wise person does not need to taste poison to know it is a poison. But you seem to Super wise and a super human, it is completely your choice.

Good luck!!!

Again, if you just meant that I did not say "shouted", I will like to also tell you, that English is not my first language like most. May be I am not as effective writer as any person bought up in America would be. I am in this country since 2004 and I think I have done preety well so far. For people, who can understand me, perhaps also understand that translating from another language mentally to English can be a challenge at times.

Indeed, you have to be flexible. When it's cold, I put on a sweater (I come prepared), when the radio is too loud, I listen to my ipod or put in ear plugs (I come prepared), when the driver is a smoker, I refuse the ride, when it's too hot (no a/c), I just pray for the end and remind myself that as long as I have water (I come prepared) I won't expire from heat! I keep quiet, I mind my own business. Basically, short of driving like a maniac or lighting up after I have got into the car, there is pretty much nothing that will annoy me. I am happy for the free ride.

The only comment I will make about the post is that the writer says, "I said," and "I told" and "I asked" repeatedly when she states that the radio is so loud that she cannot think. I would have thought "shouted" or "screamed" would have been more appropriate if the radio was truly as loud as she said it was.
However, even if her perception of radio loudness is different to others, the ladies in the car should not have been so rude.

If even 1/4 of this story is true, those women should be ASHAMED. end of story

CJ

I was SO upset when I read that. It's been a few weeks.

PLEASE post the license plate number here.

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