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Sunday, August 16, 2009
Milking It: A Sob Story A frightening realization hit me as I stood at the counter at the bus station the other day. I had just asked for a one-way ticket out of the city and froze as I was about to say that it was a student fare because ...it wasn't. It hit me more at that moment than it ever has; not at my convocation, not when I got my grad photos, not even when I see my framed diploma on the wall in the family room every day - I am no longer a student. And I haven't been for more than a year. I am a full-fledged, 25 year old *GULP* adult. And with my new age bracket came new bus fares. More expensive bus fares. Now, I should probably clarify that this wasn't the first time I had taken the inter-city bus since finishing school. I have many a time in the past, and (get this!) was still able to buy my tickets at the student rates because I had a completely valid, totally legit student card. Hey, it's not my fault that when I registered as a first year my university was actually issuing student cards that were valid for SIX YEARS. I probably should have been insulted that they assumed that I might be in school for that long (sure, I did five years, but SIX? is a long time), but didn't think anything of it at the time. So up until May of 2009 I was technically, according to this card, still a student at my university, so why not take advantage of the discount whenever I could? Except that this past Wednesday was no longer May 2009. Hence, the scene at the counter. HOWEVER, if someone behind said counter assumes that I am a student based on the fact that I still look like a teenager when I don't have make-up on (and sometimes still do even when I'm wearing loads of it), and asks if I have student ID and says to me that they still consider it valid even if it expired in May because they assume we're getting it renewed in September, then THAT'S a totally different story. Right? Even in France I was getting discounts on train tickets because 25 is still considered to be in the "Youth" bracket. My student days might be over, but I'm still living with at my parents' house (*SOB*), make a lot less than I should be, commute 4 hours everyday on public transit, and bring a packed lunch to work. The government may label me as an adult, but seriously? Does my lifestyle sound even remotely adult-ish to you? Certainly not adult-ish enough to be paying full fares to visit friends out of town! It might not be totally honest, but I'm milking this for as long as I can! ...until September when I don't have an excuse anymore. *SOB SOB* PS: I'm back at the office tomorrow after six and a half weeks away. 1.5 weeks spent on tour, 4 weeks spent bumming around overseas, and 1 week spent at home/camping to recover from being on holiday. Suffice to say, I am SO not looking forward to work tomorrow. *SOB SOB SOB* |
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