By Dylan R.N. Crabb

Yesterday, I took a ride on a city bus to downtown Albuquerque for what I believe turned out to be a productive morning.  I enjoy riding city buses and I definitely have a preference for public transit over owning/driving a car but, on the way back home, I witnessed an interesting display of “not giving a fuck” from one of my fellow bus riders.  It was nothing violent or dangerous, just odd.

Traveling down Central Avenue, there was what I assumed to be a couple sitting across from me on the bus: the woman was staring out the window across from myself and the man was leaning against her with his head down, his right hand shading his eyes.  The man remained like this for most of my time on that bus until he finally moved to pull out a white paper bag from his shoulder bag laying beside him.  From the paper bag came out a smaller, zip-sealed plastic bag as the man’s other hand revealed a glass pipe (in plain view of any other passengers sitting to his left).  Despite my intention to NOT stare, my eyes were glancing back to the pipe repeatedly.

I’m very libertarian-minded regarding drug use under the rationalization of, “your body, do what you want to do.”  I simply thought the location was a little strange.  Perhaps he should have waited until he was home before breaking out the drugs rather than displaying it to about a dozen of his peers on a public bus.  But, whatever. . . .