Who's REALLY the crazy person?

Today's blog is about my frustration with 'crazy people' on the subway. I'm sorry I have to use such a derogatory, slang term, but I really don't know what else to call them. You know the ones. They're usually talking to themselves (or maybe trying to talk to you), they generally smell funny, they're clothes aren't always coordinated, and more often than not, they are carrying a shopping bag of some sort with random things in it. But seriously, if I must use a more 'friendly' term, I suppose it would be 'mentally afflicted', 'mentally challenged' or 'mentally disordered'. For today's blog we'll go with 'mentally disordered'.
Now I - like most people - get rather tense when a mentally disordered individual enters my subway car, especially if they are quite close to me. I try not to stare (as mom always taught us), but inevitably it always happens; generally, I avoid eye contact altogether.

For the most part they are harmless, unless you are the unlucky chap who they decide to sit next to. You may be subject to them speaking nonsense directly to you - sometimes they even expect a response - or you may be subject to them moving erratically and getting bumped or jostled in the process.

We, as polite Canadians, usually just sit quietly (anxiously) and let this happen. We wouldn't want to offend the mentally disordered person, or - god forbid - actually set them off in some way to begin to act in a more upsetting/agressive manner.

But why do we actually tolerate this?

I have actually gotten up out of my seat and moved to a different part of the subway, when I've felt uncomfortable with the behaviour of a nearby mentally disordered person. (Actually I'll get up and move somewhere else when the person sitting next to me smells offensively... but that's another story for another blog). In fact, just yesterday morning, after a mentally disordered person REALLY made me uncomfortable (and decided to sit next to me) I got up out of the subway car I was in and moved to a different one on the same train. Is this rude? Am I 'offending' anyone? I don't think so at all. I have just as much of a right to feel comfortable and peaceful in my subway ride as they have to be 'mentally disordered'. Well, I don't know if being mentally disordered is a right.... but certainly they don't have a level of choice in the matter.

Okay... so for the most part these mentally disordered individuals are harmless, right? Well what about when they aren't harmless? What about when they cause a disruption around them or physically contact subway riders? Should we 'polite Canadians' just sit back and tolerate this? I don't think so.

Here is an example (regarding the same individual that sat next to me yesterday morning causing me to move to a different car): A middle-aged woman entered the train at a particular stop. There were a couple people standing directly in front of the doors; she assertively said to one woman in the way "Can you please move out of the way so I can get on the train?". At which point the woman moved out of the entering woman's way. The entering (soon to be mentally disordered) woman then remained near the doorways, confronting the woman who moved with "What? You think something is funny." Now, privately, I initially gave kudos to the entering woman for asking the other woman to get out of the way. That has got to be the worst bit of subway behaviour: people unnecessarily standing in front of the doors when people are trying to enter or exit. We all have had a point where we've felt frustrated and wished we could say something.... but never do, just thinking "Ah, well, that's the way it is on the TTC." I thought the comment about 'something being funny' was a bit confrontational and unnecessary, but it seemed to go unnoticed.
Soon this mentally (entering woman) disordered woman was standing in a different area and began muttering things to herself and also directed profanities at others. People just started to slowly move away. She was still concerned with the woman who moved for her and another woman. Then (just my luck) she stood directly in front of the man sitting next to me and said "I'm not feeling well. Could I sit down?" He quickly got up so she could sit down. She continued to mutter and loudly proclaim random words and profanities (something about cutting off a penis). And a couple times directed an accusatory tone to a man and woman in front of her seat, on the other side of the car. She actually (twice) then kicked a woman's handbag that was dangling by the woman's leg. Stop. See? This is where it gets beyond harmless. This is shortly before I moved to the next car.
Let me start by saying that if it was a (seemingly) sane, mentally healthy man that kicked a woman's purse or body, you would think that people wouldn't hesitate to push the harrasment alarm. But here was this mentally disordered person verbally harassing people, randomly, and actually kicking people's bags. Why do we stand for this?

to be continued.....