dear fellow commuters

yes, i'm getting on that train. no, i don't care what you think. i'm not waiting ten minutes for the next train because you're a lazy ass. my tiny self takes up less space than you, even with my swim bag. you could always move the TWO FREAKING STEPS AWAY FROM THE DOORS that would mean you're not in contact with my bag if it bothers you that damn much. and by the way? trying to run me over exiting the train at lewisham? foolish move. even with my little legs, i still walk faster than you. (those tiny little legs are also great for kicking tall jackasses like yourself in the shins or tripping them.) and something else for you to think about-i was carrying hot beverage. what exactly made you so sure i wouldn't dump it on you if you pissed me off enough?

grr

an article bemoaning the fate of men who want to be daddies if only their evil girlfriends wouldn't abort

out of curiousity, why is it so difficult for these guys to understand a simple concept? they do not get to make the decision because it is not their body that will bear the stress and risks of pregnancy and childbirth. when men get pregnant, then they too can have the final say over whether or not to continue the pregnancy. until then, they should stop being so dismissive of the seriousness of a condition which they will never experience. it's not your body. you don't own it. it's that fundamental. and maybe that's part of the problem. it's that fundamental, that gut-level that men just don't get it because they can't. it's not a part of their reality. it will never happen to them.

and yes, it does suck for men that they can be held financially responsible for a child, but have no say in whether or not the woman carrying that child terminates the pregnancy. but you know what? i'm going to hand you the same answer i've heard far too often: biology is what it is, and doesn't give a damn about what's fair. biology dictates that women are the ones who get pregnant. take it up with nature if you've got a problem with it.

another open letter about commuting

dear guy who lives on my street,

you apparently recognize that i live somewhere near you. you definitely know we get off the train at the same stop on the nights i'm on the train. for the love of god, and if not for that, then in defense of your testicles, if you're going to sit next to a girl on the train, get off the train at the same stop, walk the same route as her after exiting the station, and then turn the same damn corner into the same quiet side street (especially when you're the only two people walking in that general direction) you MIGHT want to think about introducing yourself and making some small talk, especially if the girl has been staring out the window the entire train ride and has no clue who's sitting next to her. i know about that no talking on trains/tubes rule, but sometimes you really ought to break it. if you can't do that, then you need to walk in front of me, not behind me, cause i have to tell you, i was about to round on you when you turned into your front garden. i don't think you quite get just how much a six foot plus guy doing what you did tonight can freak out a girl my size. i didn't register "guy i've seen on the train before who lives on my street", all i knew was "large man following me, matching my pace." and i'm not the kind of girl who gets jumpy over nothing.

talk to me next time,
the girl who lives up the street