Urban Bus Adventure: Counseling on the Bus

It was December, finals weeks, and I was tired from a long day of exams. I had been sitting at the bus stop for over 15 minutes waiting for the bus to arrive. When it finally got there (it was late) I noticed it was already well-packed with passengers. This particular bus route was very popular and there were very few times when the bus was empty. I looked around me and noticed there were multiple passengers boarding the bus with me and no one was getting off. "Oh, boy," I thought, "this is going to be an interesting ride." I stood at the front of the bus and scanned the rows for a free seat. I saw one toward the middle of the bus. A window seat -- Thank God! I loved looking out the window when riding the bus, especially when it was over-crowded. It acted as my escape from the craziness around me and it helped me look preoccupied so people would be less inclined to strike up a conversation with me. I quickly made my way to the seat wanting to ensure I didn't lose it to any of my fellow boarding passengers. I slid into the seat and settled my backpack on my lap. It was rather cool outside and I was thankful for the warmth of the bus and happy I had found a seat. There were several passengers that were less fortunate and they were standing, holding on to the overhead railing. The bus doors closed and we lurched forward - we were on our way. Withing a few minutes we were arriving at another stop and there were, again, multiple people waiting to board. As the people filed onto the bus I couldn't help but wonder where they were going to sit or even stand for that matter. There were no seats left and the aisle was even beginning to be very crowded. A man and woman, apparently in deep conversation, stepped onto the bus. They appeared to know each other rather well and the conversation went well beyond the usual bus banter that took place on a regular basis during most bus rides. The man seemed to be very upset about something and the woman was listening very sympathetically. They started to walk down the aisle looking for a place to positions themselves as the bus began to pull forward again. They stopped just behind me, continuing their conversation as though they weren't on a bus full of people.
Man: So I had to spend all that time getting a hold of the doctor's office just to for them to turn around and tell me they couldn't treat me until the insurance company agreed to pay for it. Can you believe it? I was outraged! I mean, I really needed help and they were doing very little to help me. Last I checked the medical profession was about helping people.
Woman: Well, things are really complicated these days. There are lots of rules and regulations for everyone to follow.
Man: I know, but how sad is that! I mean I needed help! You can't imagine the emotional strain this whole ordeal has put on me, not to mention the pain and agony from all my physical problems.
The conversation went on like this for at least ten minutes with the man painting an ever-increasingly horrifying picture of his life. He was becoming very emotional and the woman seemed to be growing more and more unsure of how to respond to him.
The bell rang and the bus pulled to a stop, opening its doors to let the passengers get off. The conversation between the man and woman was still going on but the woman was trying to politely excuse herself so she could get off the bus. Then it dawned on me that she didn't really know the man. They must have met at the bus stop waiting to catch the bus. "How strange," I thought, "for him to be discussing such personal matters with someone he doesn't know."
The woman managed to escape the conversation and the bus and the man found a free seat right behind me. The bus pulled away from the stop and I heard the man address the person in the seat next to him. "Can you believe the way people in the health care industry treat their patients?" I looked at my window to see if I could see the person's reflection in the dark glass. No luck. I'd have to settle for listening again. A woman's voice responded with some kind words for him. This started another round of stories about the man's problems and his treatment. The woman was very sympathetic and listened attentively, even offering encouragement when the man seemed very distraught. I couldn't help but find all this very funny. I was beginning to giggle in my seat. The man's stories sounded more and more dramatic and ridiculous all at the same time! After a few minutes the man had worked himself into a sort of emotional frenzy and was openly crying. The woman was trying desperately to comfort him without over-stepping her bounds. Finally the man burst out, "And you know what the worst part is? They won't even have the common decency to let you decide when your life should end. People in some big building somewhere decide how and when I should live my life! I mean, I could put myself out of all my misery, but I'm not allowed to. They won't help me heal myself and they won't let me kill myself! What is a person to do?!!! Seriously! It is such a travesty!"
The woman really didn't know how to handle this one at all. She floundered around looking for words to say. She tried to assure the man that killing himself probably wasn't the best answer, but the more she insisted the more emotional he became. By this time I was laughing so hard on the inside my sides hurt and I was trying so desperately not to show it. I didn't want to offend the man but I couldn't help but wonder why he was talking about these things with people on the bus! After a few more minutes the woman informed the man that she had to get off the bus but she was sure he would be alright and that things would get better. He sniffled and thanked her as she gathered her things and started towards the door. She kept looking back as though she was worried of what the man would do. He sat there with a very dejected look on his face muttering to himself about all his woes.
At the next stop the man pulled himself up from his seat and stood in the aisle for a moment. "Well," he said, "I guess I must keep on living until either I die or someone helps me out of my misery."
He then walked down the aisle, down the bus steps and onto the sidewalk. The bus pulled away and I looked at the man who was sitting across from me. We exchanged bewildered looks and sort of chuckled. He leaned across the aisle towards me and said, "That man needs to get some counseling."
"Yes," I agreed, "And not on the bus!"