This morning's commute in America

The pick up is for a woman with a non-traditional name. It's a 10 minute drive, and she gets in after a minute of waiting; nothing out of the ordinary. Not unfriendly, but not chatty, so I have the news on (NPR). The coverage is of the Springfield lie about Haitians eating pets, and the subsequent bomb threats, cancellations, stress and worry for the local citizens.

Oh what a piece of work is man, how noble the mind, how gentle the spirit goes my mind, as it always does when people do things that make me not want to be in the same species as them, but as a white guy that's my priviledge to withdraw... and then I realize my passenger is listening to the radio. 

She also needs additional distance, because of a GPS problem, which also happens a lot. So I've got her for a couple of extra minutes, as I take her deep into a housing and offices complex. 

Turns out she works there -- I'm going to guess as a cleaning person, given the hour and the attire -- and she's very grateful that I didn't end the ride a half mile early. She also notes that she's from Haiti, and quickly apologizes for her people, as if they've done anything at all wrong in this mess.

I do my best to assure her that she's got nothing to be sorry about, thank her for her business, and quickly 5-star her while the phone is in her view, but she's off to work. 

Just in case you thought the damage being done here was just to the people in Ohio.