A flip but no flop

By Bob

It was an after-work ride on the No. 12 Barbur. It was a warm summer night on an overcrowded bus with almost all the seats filled and a half-dozen people standing in the aisle.

One of the standees had little to do but let his eyes wander aimlessly at his fellow passengers. Eye contact can be dicey sometimes. Staring out the window or at the floor is unlikely to bring trouble.

But what's this? Something about a guy sitting in an aisle seat a few rows ahead seems amiss. He's an average twentysomething with longish hair, wearing a tank top and shorts. And he has lots of tats on his legs and arms. But it's his feet. Or rather what is and isn't on them that draws some casual attention.

He's got a flip-flop on his left foot, but he's barefoot on the right side. Whoa. It must make for an interesting walk. The standee has time to speculate. The flip-flop guy doesn't look destitute or out of it. He's got an iPod and nice backpack. He's texting, too. Why the unusual footwear?

As the bus makes its way along Barbur, it slowly starts to empty. People depart; seats become available. People who are standing find seats. People who are sitting with strangers move to open seats with empty seats beside them. Room to spread out.

Amid the game of musical chairs, the man with one flip-flop moves up a row and settles in next to a woman about his age. They soon start to act like a couple -- they were apparently sitting apart while the bus was packed. A few stops later they get up to leave.

The twentysomething woman is wearing flip-flops on both feet, but the one on her right foot has markings that match the one on her companion's left foot. And she's holding a broken flip-flop in her hand that matches the one on her left foot.

She strides off the bus in a comfortable manner. Her companion follows, though his stride can best be described as irregular. A flip but no flop to his walk.

Chivalry lives.