Today we went to the statue of liberty. Grandma was surprised at how much she really loved it once we were right under the statue. I'm glad we went now that we know how much she loved it.

When we were in line James called to give me some tips for the recording we're going to do this weekend- the dude playing axel-f on the steel drum was loud and then a damned homeless dude kept trying to sell things to grandma and Kay so he just said he'd email me because the distractions were too great. Damned tourist noise!

On the ferry back from the liberty island it was crowded and we didn't get a seat but when we stopped at Ellis Island I told grandma that I'd try to find her one when people got off. People got off and I saw that on the bench marked "for the elderly and disabled" was this guy with his 13/14 year old son, who was LAYING DOWN ACROSS two or three seats. Not from being sick or disabled... nope, he was just tired from having to walk. So anyway, the kid got up to go get snacks or something and I told grandma to sit down. The guy was all "this seat's for my kid." The lady sitting on the next bench piped up that those seats are for the elderly and disabled and not for his kid to lay down on. The guy was all "it's first come, first served, these signs don't mean anything."

SHUT UP, YOU STUPID JERK! Even if you're not sitting in one of those seats, if you're healthy, you stand up when a pregnant lady or a handicapped person or old person gets on. It's called being polite, you total asshole.

In fact, two other people, in unmarked seats had just stood up for a 90 year old woman and a pregnant lady, respectively. This guy was a total Long Island stereotype of super jerk. His kid came back and was all "where's my space?" BECAUSE HE ONLY HAD ROOM TO SIT THIS TIME. Yeah, cry me a river.

Oh, and when my grandma sat down and we were fighting he asked me if her legs were broken- that is when I hit the point when I was going to start a huge fight and involve the people who work on the ferry. He was all "go ahead" but grandma was sitting and he wasn't contesting it anymore but had he made another peep about it I would have had them take away his seat (by the way, he was like a 35 year old man.....with unbroken legs) too and let him know what manners are. The lady who spoke up and grandma hit it off and then another person got up later and Kay took his seat and the ladies all chatted. Grandma, because she's hilarious, loudly asked "well, where's the kid who's seat this is??" Because even when the kid came back there was still an extra seat they were blocking just by sitting as lazily as possible and slouching over.

Meanwhile, I spent the rest of the voyage glaring at him and daring him to start something.

I told Brandon and Karen about it tonight and Brandon said he was on the subway and a very old lady got on and someone got up for her, and this tourist couple that was on the train beat out the old lady to get the lady of the couple a seat and then another seat came up and Brandon again tried to get the old lady a seat but the guy of the couple rushed to sit down and block her. WHAT THE CRAP?!?!!? I am the loudmouth who would say something and cause a scene because I am so charming.

The lady who was nice who chatted up grandma and Kay ended up being here on vacation from Kansas. Small world! She was all "I'm not accustomed to these rude New Yorkers" and I informed her that those people were not New Yorkers- they were tourists from most likely Long Island. I didn't want her to think that those people were speaking for New Yorkers so I was sure to clear that up.