ceebeegee | In honor of Rosa Parks

Yesterday the MTA did a really cool thing--they left one seat on every bus empty to honor Rosa Parks. They put up posters asking that people not sit there in her honor. I love that idea, and I think they should do it every year--that would mean more to me than a statue or another kind of conventional honor. It's very organic.

The Daily News did a followup on the story, seeing how many New Yorkers were willing to let a seat go empty during rush hour. Most of them were--it really warms my heart to hear some of their responses, like

After realizing she'd sat in the symbolic seat, 83-year-old Edith Green quickly moved to the other side of an M-1 bus heading down Fifth Ave. "It would be an honor," she said. "I'll gladly move. She was such a courageous woman."

Isn't that sweet? 83 years old and she's willing to move. And this:

Moments later, Fatima Reeves, 18, boarded the bus, glanced at the poster and sat down, her back pressed against the paper placard. She later said she didn't notice the print asking riders not to use the space.

"I apologize," Reeves said. "I think it's great to honor her. She changed history."

M-1 bus passenger Barbara Gatje, 74, made the same mistake and quickly slid over. "Here you go, Rosa," she said, patting the empty seat. "Her spirit's right here."

I LOVE that. And an 18 year old--that's awesome. It makes up for the guy on the Real World: Back to New York in 2000 who didn't even know who Rosa Parks was.

The one mean-spirited person (there's always someone) was a British tourist:

Fiona Humphreys won't move to the back of the bus - not even for Rosa Parks.
Told she was sitting in a symbolic seat reserved for Parks on city buses yesterday to honor the 50th anniversary of the day the civil rights legend refused to move to the back of a Montgomery, Ala., bus, Humphreys refused to get up.

The 55-year-old British tourist riding the M-1 bus said she knew of Parks, but added, "I think I've got a right to sit here."

Jerk. But the Daily News had a big-ass picture of her in the print edition, so I bet she gets a few remarks today, heh heh heh.