Pretending

It is easy to tell myself I am important and have real value to society.

It is harder to do it when society totally ignores your needs. In Boston, it was the cabbies who told Mom and then the doorman at our prestigious hotel that the accessible cab was en route, or that it came and didn't see us and left, or whatever. Today, it was the torn--up sidewalk that kept me from the comic book store.

It becomes harder still when society does not ignore your needs and set aside a place for you and others with needs like yours -- an elevator, for instance -- and the people of the society say, "You know what?  Fuck you; I am more important."

That is essentially what happened today at the West Falls Church Metro.

I got off a train, maybe 25 feet from the elevator. I got to it in time to see the last three or four people get on it. A few look abashed when they saw me. A few purposefully didn't see me. No one got off to let me on.

These people would not use the elevator if the car wasn't there already. But since it is, they take it. The people who need it? They can wait.