This is one of my faults. Unfortunately the main topics I like to discuss are negative and usually regard a complaint I have about a service that I’m offered or maybe an altercation with someone, whether it was a big deal or not. Most of the time, a general topic I start discussing will eventually transition into a complaint about something that is currently happening to me that’s undesirable when the topic in question relates to a problem I’m having. To give everyone an example of what I’m talking about, here’s one example.
My friend Chris and I are talking about our next outing on Para Transpo. While the topic is usually the destination and how fun it will be, one of us tends to find a fault within the subject which leads to complaints thus turning a good conversation into a bad one. This could start with one of us checking the app to get an idea of when we will arrive at said destination. Upon realizing that it would take longer to get to where we’re going, we have both found ourselves complaining that they need a better service, how it’s the same thing over and over again with them coming late, how ridiculous it is that they come that late, saying that we will never use it again as we recall the present time not being the first for them to be late, complaints about how we have spent the better part of our lives after high school worrying about the service and nothing else, calling into question the desire to want to go out as a means to avoid using the service only to use it again each time we say we won’t, complaints about how a driver was rude to one of us, (depending on who’s making the comment but we’ve both had this happen to us by different drivers,) how long it takes to get through when calling them, how the app screws up by not giving adequate time as to how long they will be and in some cases, not sending us the notification right when they should, the amount of other pickups and drop offs needing to be made prior to getting us where we’re going, (which is made especially worse when they were already late to begin with,) rush hour traffic even while we’re on the vehicle, having to wait outside in inclement weather and freeze or roast, (depending on the season,) and the most crucial complaint of all, the type of vehicle that picks us up. Though this does not seem like a big deal, we both believe that Para is a bus company. Despite this, more often than not, they send both of us taxis rather than buses. It gets to a point sometimes where we even wonder if there are buses still in transit as 9 times out of 10, (in my case anyway,) I’m sent a minivan rather than a bus. This list of complaints we have related to Para is only a few complaints we’ve had as far as it is concerned and the list is much larger. I can recall the last time I had an altercation with a Para driver.
The date was Monday July 8, 2024. My friend Chris and I were scheduled to go to a Wrestling event in town while mom was recovering from her surgery to remove her cancer. With this in mind, I already wasn’t in the mood to even be going out much less have to deal with rude Para drivers. After they once again sent us two vehicles going to the same place from the same destination, (another complaint we both have about this service but one that is not listed in the above written list,) I yelled at the driver and told him to “F” himself just because he refused to take me upon request. The problem was that my stepfather over heard this and told mom while she was still in the hospital at the time. At this point, she had showed signs of being frustrated with my constant complaints over the service, (even before she was diagnosed with cancer.) She had warned me that I would be forced to give up the service if I kept complaining about how they ran their service. Well this is almost what happened and with good reason too as she was obviously in no condition to put up with my complaints over the service. She called me while still under a lot of medication and told me that I should hang up with her and call them to get rid of my number. Though I tried to plead my case while saying the driver was an a hole, (which he was as he put his window up and drove away as we were having the initial argument,) it did me no good and though it ended up not happening, I was given a strict warning from mom that if it happened again, whether she’s in the hospital or not, I would be given an order to have my file deleted and would not go anywhere anymore as mom would not pick me up to go anywhere even if she was able to. This seemed harsh at the time but I understood why she was saying it. I mean, she had gone through a lot. One thing this did do was allow me to reflect on how meaningful and useful the service is to me and how I would not get anywhere without it. After months of reassessment of this issue, I never complain about Para anymore despite the feeling of annoyance I get when one of the listed situations occur. The annoyance is never brought up to mom anymore and to my credit, I’m more laid back if and when they’re delayed than I was before as I now perceive the service the way I should have been perceiving it all along . As mom has told me so many times as it relates to this service, “It’s just a ride. You’re lucky to have it because not everybody does. If you didn’t have it, you would get nowhere because me and Andre, (my stepfather’s name,) are not going to pick you up every time you need to go somewhere. If you get rid of Para, you stay home all the time and this is not the proper way to live.”
So I suppose the topic I like to discuss more than anything is Para Transpo. This is a topic that over the years has triggered annoyance to me while also helping me realize that I would not have a life without it.
A funny thing happened just now. My response to this question was so long that I actually forgot what the question was. I don’t think this has ever happened before.
JJsMovieRoom 
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