Where Would Jesus Park?

Today was relatively mellow, here in Frigid World. Thirty degrees Fahrenheit under a dead fish belly gray sky. No snow, rain, ice or sleet falling, for the moment.

I dragged my cold, aching, stiff arthritic bones out on this, my day off; to keep the moving parts moving.

At the bus stop, the God squad was gathering. A thirty something guy in a dark suit stood on the sidewalk with his companion, an older guy of nondescript description. One of them began his speech, which I've heard before, at the same bus stop. For the most part I tuned out, but words to the effect that Jesus would send us to heaven filtered through my BS screen. On went the monologue for about five minutes. Reminded me a bit nostalgically of my picket line days when scabs called me the "Bullhorn Bitch."

A fellow bus rider asked if I knew what time such and such bus would show up. I pulled a schedule out of my gym bag and read off the next couple of arrivals at that stop. I settled down on the cold metal bench to read a Rolling Stone article about Barack Obama.

The God Squad twins approached the bus shelter and offered the other woman standing there an orange colored pamphlet. She graciously accepted the paper, but said nothing. They turned their attention to me.
"No Thank you," I said.

They turned back to the first woman, and asked:
"Are you going to heaven?"
"I'm not interested," she said decisively, waving them away.

The Proselytizing Brothers exited the bus shelter, huddled around a green car coated with gray road salt film. They and the car's driver lingered--or should I say loitered-- in the space in front of the bus shelter-- holding a prayer meeting, maybe.

A #15 bus pulled up, stopped several feet before the bus stop, because of the car blocking it. The next bus-- the one the other rider and I were waiting for, proceeded hesitantly up the block, and stopped behind the first bus, several yards before the bus stop. I shot a disgusted look at the sidewalk preachers, and walked to the bus. If looks could kill, I'm sure the Bus Stop Bible Thumpers are well on their way to their heavenly reward by now.

Here's a thought: Local police officers should ticket these morons for obstructing/parking in bus stops. That's real revenue for a city with block after block of boarded up buildings.

I have Faith that those citizens who choose to pay respects to their Creator have found or will find a bona fide House of Worship/temple/ mosque/church to meet their individual needs.

And to you pamphleteers who are forcing bus riders to go out of their way to catch a bus because YOU parked your heated car where you shouldn't: why don't you hand out something USEFUL, something a lot of good people don't have/can't afford--- like FOOD. (See Food Not Bombs.)