Put a 'Transsexual' off my bus tonight!!!
Must warn you; extremely long post and forgive me if you can feel my anger flowing through the screen. I will tell what happened and then break it down to what my thoughts and feelings are. Please READ everything BEFORE you reply!
Driving down Patterson Ave and I stop at a bus stop and a guy gets on followed by a 'woman?' Guy pays his fare and then I look at the next person. He is in his mid 40's wearing a dark green off the shoulder teenie bopper style blouse, a neon pink skirt, and black five inch (approx) heel sandals and a cheap blonde halloween wig. He is sporting a fully grown goatee and has extremely dark hairy legs. He shows me his reduced fare card and his photo does show him dressed like a female, female name; without the goatee. Pays his fare and then sits down at the back of the bus. I pull away from the curb and then he starts talking to his friend very loudly and boisterously. He then proceeds to start cussing. I glance in my passenger mirror and he has his arms spread out across the top of several seats with his legs spread far apart. I get on my PA system and ask him to watch his language. He continues talking loud. He then starts telling his friend about a sexual encounter he had with a guy last weekend and going into explicit details. I get on my PA system again and tell him there are kids on the bus and we don't want to hear about it. He then starts bad mouthing me to his friend and complaining about another bus driver earlier today that called him 'sir'. He said, "I'm an bleepin' woman and these bleep hole bus drivers won't respect me!" Get on my PA system and said (not to friendly), "One more cuss word or vulgar comment you are off my bus!" Even his friend told him he needed to chill. Didn't even get halfway down the next block before he starts cussing again. I pulled over and told him, "I'm tired of it, get off my bus!" He then cusses me out and refuses to get off. I called my dispatcher to have the police to come out. He stomped up to me and was demanding my name. I told him I don't have to give him my name. He was insistent and was demanding my name so he can report me. Proceeded to call me a homophobe and a hater and he will have my job. "I want a name A-Hole!' He yells at me. "Oh, if all you need is a name then I give you Joe Biden! Now GET OFF MY BUS!!!!" He yells at his friend to join him, and he reluctantly gets off with him. I can tell he was embarrassed. After they get off the bus I cancel the police. My passengers were making fun of him and all 'fags' (their words, not mine). I tried to repair the damage and say that was just one bad apple and not reflective of the gay/ transgender community, but the damage was done.
Now, first thing's first. I always refer to someone's personal pronoun by the manner they present themselves. I normally would call someone who crossdress, transsexual, gg, a miss or she. This butthole lost all my respect. He was not presenting nor behaving like a female to deserve a prestigious title.
2. I need to point out that there are several crossdressers and transsexuals that ride our transit system. There is an elderly black guy that is ALWAYS wearing a dress or skirt. He does have a beard, but he doesn't try to portray himself as a woman. He is a guy in a dress. Always a pleasant person to talk to. Some passengers ask him why he wears dresses and he replies that he likes to. Great answer. But he doesn't try to say he is a female. There is another crossdresser that attends a local college that wears skirts and hose. He doesn't hide that he is a guy in a skirt. His g/f is hot! Which brings me to...
3. Although I admit one can wear what makes them feel comfortable, I think his outfit was horrible. Did not match at all. The wig was very very fake and looked horrible. Granted, I do not know his financial situation and that may have been all he can afford. My problem arises when he sports a thick goatee and hairy legs, sits down spread eagle, lounges like a slobby guy and wonders why nobody treats him as a female. BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T PRESENTING YOURSELF AS ONE!!!!!! I wanted to yell at him.
4. I try not to be driver nazi and try to over look the occasional cuss word, (I've been known to let a few f bombs drop). I do have to draw the line when somebody is cussing loudly and going into explicit details about what they did with another man's penis in front of elementary school kids!!!! We have a three strike policy or else I would have put him off then.
5. Years ago, bus drivers did have their names and length of service on a placard near the driver seat. With all the wierdos out nowadays we do not have to give our names out for our safety. When pressed for my name I usually give out a politicians name; i.e. Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy, Bob Dole, Dan Quayle, Jimmy Carter, etc. For those members that do not live in the United States, Joe Biden is our Vice President. I am not concerned at all about him calling in on me. Our buses are equipped with audio/video. Let management see how he was acting. I just hope that management won't get a bad impression about cd's and tg's.
6. I am a homophobe and a hater. I was very amused by this. I am a transsexual that hates transsexuals. ( I do not dress at work and nobody knows I consider myself a woman.) It wasn't his behavior that made me put him off my bus, it was because I can't stand transsexuals. Well, at least when I am out in public dressed, I behave accordingly.
I don't care what skin color someone is, their gender, wealth status, nationality, orientation, identity, religion, etc. I demand three things: Be ready at the bus stop. Have your fare ready. Respect me and my passengers. Correct me if I am wrong but that isn't the definition of a hater or a homophobe.
7. I was puzzled by his friend. He didn't seem the type to hangout with someone of that character. He did try to calm him down and was not happy that his friend got put off; making him leave as well. I didn't put him off, but I can tell he was being loyal to his friend. I have a small shred of hope that maybe friend can talk some sense into him.
8. I tried telling my passengers about my transgendered cousin (me) who is polite and respectful and wants to blend in with society, but the damage was done. They were too busy making fun of gays and transgendered. Want to buy that guy a ticket to Jerry Springer.
I am sitting here trembling with anger that someone like that 'represents' the tg community, even though 99% of us don't act like that. We know he doesn't represent us, but that is what over 20 people, including little kids, saw today. What a crappy ambassador.
He is not a transsexual. He is not transgendered. He is not even a man. A man would have more honor and decency not to act that way; especially in front of kids. He does NOT represent me.
I alluded to that I don't know his financial situation; I can't criticize his style. I don't know his life nor do I know what he went through. It is possible that he has been rejected by family and friends and with the struggles that society does place on the tg community maybe he has a I don't give a $&% attitude towards the world. Maybe he has a big chip on his shoulder from losing his job because he identified as a TG. Or maybe he is just a butthole. Still no excuse to act that way; especially in front of kids. If I see him standing at a bus stop in the future I will 'choose' NOT to see him standing there.
What behaviors have you 'personally' witnessed or have you acted in a way that you now regret in regards to seeing someone in the TG community or being a member of it?
Amber
