For over 5 years, I've lived in DC but done the opposite commute into Northern Virginia for work (with the traffic problems we have here, "opposite commute" is a relative term). The last 2 years, I've relied almost exclusively on public transportation...the travels are a bit longer, but I'm saving gas money and keeping my car off the road. Plus I read a lot more, a scenario that's usually much easier when you're not driving.

Yesterday I got to the West Falls Church Metro station and boarded the Loudoun County Transit bus for the journey into work. A gentleman boarded the bus after me and moments later got into an arguement with the bus driver over a simple matter...if you buy ticket books by check, the county requires your phone number to be on the check. Suddenly, this small requirement became an "invasion of privacy" and, believe it or not, the fault of "the Democrats." Yes, little did you know our party must be at the root of what I'll call "The Phone Number on the Check Conspiracy."

Muttering and complaining about Democrats as he made his way onto the bus, I suddenly heard him exclaim, "I can't wait to call Rush Limbaugh about this." Now I don't listen to Rush due to the fact I'd rather listen to static, but I soon realized he'd probably take this guys call just to beat on the Democrats. A few people (including myself) told this guy to please keep quiet, and in return we were told about how Johnson, Carter and Clinton had ruined this country. Additional shouting and accusations from, pardon the pun, across the aisle ensued. At one point I tried to speak to him rationally, and in return I was called a bigot. I should point out that this gentleman mentioned he came from another country (I could tell by his accent), but somehow I became a bigot. I decided that mentioning the fact most Limbaugh and Republican supporters would like to seal our borders from immigrants would fall on deaf ears, but you can see the sad irony. This guy actually threw a piece of crumpled paper at another passenger who asked him to keep his views to himself.

There's a part of me that hopes this gentleman comes to realize that the Democratic Party is one of inclusion, one of discussing ideas and looking out for one another. However, the rest of me doubts this will ever happen. This man has bought into the "Republican Equation" of opposites. You may know what I'm talking about:

Bin Laden attacks the United States = Let's attack Iraq

Family Values = Let's send email to Congressional pages

Raising the minimum wage = The next Great Depression and end of capitalism as we know it

Pat Robertson = Rational thought

No Child Left Behind = No child left behind

Honesty = Bush, Cheney, Rice, Hastert

Phone number on check = Blame Jimmy Carter

Makes sense to me!