Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Joe was a bus driver. He had a rather long route, but it was mostly retirees and the like, so, he didn't mind all that much.

One particularly long afternoon as Joe was feeling all of his 45 years, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Would you like some peanuts?" the old woman asked him holding out a handful of perfectly whole peanuts in her hand.

"Well, " Joe said "I think that'd be alright." Joe had missed breakfast that morning and hadn't been able to stop for lunch. The peanuts were welcome bit of snackage to keep him going during this particularly long afternoon.

A few minutes later he felt another tap on his shoulder. "Would you like some more peanuts?" the little old lady asked holding out another handful of perfectly shaped peanuts.

"Yeah," Joe said "why the heck not?" And he took the second handful of nuts from the old woman and scooped them into his mouth.

Two stops later, he felt another tap on his shoulder. "Say," the old woman asked "you wouldn't care for some more peanuts would you?"

"Ma'am" Joe said "I have to say that this has been one of the nicest afternoon I've had in a long time. I missed breakfast this morning and I haven't been able to stop for lunch yet. Thanks a bunch." He shoveled the third batch into his gaping maw.

"If you don't mind me asking," Joe turned a bit in his seat to catch the old lady's eye "where are you getting these peanuts?"

"There's a feller back here selling them." The old lady replied.

Well, good enough Joe thought to himself as he munched happily away on his delightfully salty peanuts.

A few minutes later the old lady returned with yet another handful of peanuts.

"Ma'am" Joe said "I love the peanuts, I surely do, but I can't have you buying anymore peanuts for me from that fellow in the back."

"Oh," the little old lady replied "It's no trouble we just figured throwing away a bit of perfectly good peanuts was a bit of waste. I mean, they're perfectly good peanuts....we just sucked all the chocolate off them is all."