TTC Girl with a Cat (Bloor-Danforth Subway)

via Craigslist

I got on the subway on Friday at noon, and although it was relatively busy it was hard to miss you. There you sat sprawled across four seats with your belongings, cat included. You stared menacingly at me as I approached, and I couldn't help but notice the (what looks to be permanent) sneer playing out across your face. You looked young, maybe 16 or 17, and it seemed a possibility that perhaps in your short life you had been bullied or teased at some point. Maybe about your weight. Maybe your brain (or lack of). Regardless, you were a little young to be lacking in respect, and to be so nasty and spiteful to a complete stranger who asked you politely to move your things. I strongly doubt you paid a fare for each of the four seats you were coveting, which means they should have been available to other riders who had paid the appropriate fare. Perhaps you think I am an animal hater. How dare I ask you to put your cat carrier on the floor, after all! Actually the truth is I am not. I have taken my animals on the TTC for many many years. They either travel on my lap or, in the case of a pet in a carrier or a large dog, under my seat. My dogs learn to keep to themselves, and they do not sit on the seats out of respect for the other riders that a) do not like animals, b) have allergies, c) are part of a culture where touching animals is considered filthy, or d) are wearing nice business attire that they don't want to get covered in pet hair. THAT is respect. To acknowledge that the space is a shared one, and to take into consideration the views that may differ from my own.

I wish you luck in your life, young lady. You are certainly going to need as much luck as you can possibly grasp at the rate you're going. Learn a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. If someone asks you to move your shit (cat included) so they can sit in a seat designated for people (again, I stress NOT bags nor cats) that they have technically paid a fare for, I suggest you comply. And try to be a little more civil about it. It will get you much further in life!

If I see you again, I'll happily sit on your bag if you refuse to move it.

Cheers!