Loonies in the Boonies

Today I got on the bus and was having a great morning. The bus driver was talking to Tara and mentioned he and his wife were expecting early next month. I sat behind the driver 'cause he was friendly and kept talking.

Two stops later we pick up this woman who was loud and obnoxious to some people but I did not think anything of it.

The driver and I continue to talk. He was really interested in the sling I had tara in and asked where to get them. I told him I sold them, and got out my card. I gave it to him when we had stopped.

Then a woman behind us with a thick eastern-european accent starts telling me carrying a baby in summer gives them rashes and is bad for them. So I told her all the benefits and told her that a baby in a stroller can be so isolating and hard to read their signals. She kept having a go at me at this stage and felt offended that I would not use a stroller - her children were perfectly fine without being carried.

Then she has a think about it for a bit after I start talkiing to driver again and asks about bad backs. I say there are ones out there designed for bad backs. She asked for my card - so I gave it to her. She seemed a little converted even - became smiling and nice.

Bus Driver keeps talking to me and said he watched women all day every day struggling with their strollers and he really did not think they were great.

Obnoxious woman who got on the bus earlier is heard behind me having a go about talking to the driver and that I should leave him alone and not try to force myself and my products on him and just leave him to his job (talking to other passengers). I am getting flustered listening to her ranting... I try to not engage the driver in any more talk but being a new-dad-to-be is sooo excited he keeps going. I become a little curt with one or two word replies because the lady behind is muttering.

Get off the bus and driver wants to look at the sling quickly so I turn around to show him (as I get off the steps) he said thankyou so very much and beamed at me. I was feeling great.

As I start to walk the street this lady is looking at me, almost smiling and then starts into me.

"You should know better than to talk to the driver"
"He has other people to consider"
"Every time I see you you are selling stuff or talking" (WTF???!)
"You should think of other people on the bus"

I said to her, look, he started talking to me, I was being curtious, he asked me for my card. She was getting in my face and I told her to just "get over it lady" because I was starting to feel threatened. I walked past her faster and she was ranting behind me and was not leaving me alone. I had to move out of some people's way and she caught up to me still going on. I told her to back off... she keep going.

My voice dropped three octaves and I screamed "Just back off lady! leave me alone!" I was shaking, scared for me, scared for Tara. I thought she was going to assault me. She then saw a friend across the road, and waved, while threatening to call the cops on me (WTF?!) I went into the nearest cafe and needed to sit down, I was crying and almost hyperventilating. I was shaking so much. She was at the crossing for so long, outside the shop... I was so scared...

I got a coffee and just started crying with the shop assistant. then I left the cafe to go to the park to meet friends.

I've since been looking over my shoulder, scared to get on the bus, waiting for this woman to pounce on me again. She lives 1.5 blocks from my house...

ugh.

*sigh*