"Yeah"

"Yeah" , they chimed in. Stereophonic chastising as I realized my crime: setting myself up on the wrong bicycle in the Friday morning spinning class. I had the misfortune of innocently nabbing the machine reserved by a cranky odd woman who seemed to think I wanted the special silver cycle for myself, at her expense. "I didn't know!" I protested, instinctively raising my arms to cover my head, mocking the group attack the class was launching against me. "Yeah" two people chimed in as the moody woman harangued me, proving they were against this injustice I had leveled against the poor woman. "Sorry! So Sorry! Here you go!" I jumped off the silver cycle, which the woman let me know she had gotten there at 8 am to procure and I had messed it all up.
As I adjusted my rightful older red cycle, and got ready for class, I guess I couldn't really hold it against the moody woman, who perhaps should consider exercising in the afternoon when she's in a better mood. After all, I did steal her bike. What echoed in my ears was the double "Yeah", the schoolyard group bent on proving they were on the right side of the debate, those making sure they were not associated with the loser, the mistaken, the newcomer. "Yeah"???? What was that? So instead of harboring the negativity, I asked the dude on the cycle next to the victimized woman, "Why didn't you say something to me? You watched me... all adjusting my seat...?" And I said it in a self-mocking way, making fun of myself, even mimicking the hand movements of me being all careful and twisting the knobs, and I laughed as I said it. He mumbled something, embarrassed.
But the question remains, why didn't he or the other chimer say anything as they watched me steal the bike? Cowardice, sleepiness, or shyness? But suddenly so brave, awake, unshy when cranky woman bellows at me? Yes, it's the group mentality, sheep following the leader.
But whatever. That's life, and that's definitely people. I will NOT go so far as to say "people suck". But I will say that when you find a gem of a person, someone who's open, honest, and who thinks for him or herself, and doesn't turn into a sheep, then you have found someone that's interesting to talk to and fun to hang out with. Hopefully Key West is full of them, and spinning class is just one of those scenes that brings out the worst in people. We'll see!