Depends on how dark and hidden it is. Sometimes that makes it easier to steal something off of you. Also someone could hide a knife and stab you while leaving in a crowd. Not to mention if there is a group or if the bus driver is in on it (or is it and you are alone on the bus).
Still it is normally better than walking or a subway.
As someone who’s been attacked by someone while getting off a bus, its a lot harder to get away when you try to do something between people. and more often then not, you got nowhere to run. sadly though. some people think they can STILL get away.
in my case. the guy tried to suckerpunch me while he was stepping off the bus, spun around and only managed to knock my glasses off, i shoved him on his ass, grabbed him by the sleeve and started to drag him back up so as to beat the crap out of him.
LSS, he didnt like something i said about homeless people (and in Portland, we have a growing problem with it) commenting that if they didnt do stupid shit, they wouldnt have incidents while in custody (several years back, a homeless man died in police custody, but guy had basically attacked a cop and tried to steal their gun, cops didnt take it well)
that i had greater concern over several Officer-involved shootings (i lived in a house near where 7 out of 8 recent shootings at the time) than homeless folks pissed him off. (and this was shortly after the incident where someone stabbed three people on the MAX following the trump 2016 victory.
About 9 like Selkie, I assume. Still, I’d trust even a little smaller variant of a razor-teethed, dagger-clawed venomous carnivore be fine in most circumstances.
Although, for the Sarnothi integration into human society in general, it might be worth taking extra steps to prevent any incidents where the differences get to… shine… too much.
That’s the thing that bothers me. I trust her to be sensible. I don’t trust other people to be sensible, and she makes a very obvious and young target for someone that specifically wants to target Sarnothi.
That doesn’t even get into who the cops might side with if something does happen. If it is her word againsr someone else’s (even a human teenager), who’s word do you think the cop will take?
Right, the cops know that the G-men will come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who touches a Sarnothi. And frankly, Te Fahn is right, any attacker deserves what they will get.
And The Fahn is supposed to be the level headed one….
Also in b4 we get stories of weirdos trying to go after Sarnothi children for inappropriate stuff only to end up in the hospital due to an impromptu amputation performed by said Sarnothi children.
Also she is giving Selkie ideas. This can only end badly .
“People who are rather more than six feet tall and nearly as broad across the shoulders often have uneventful journeys. People jump out at them from behind rocks then say things like, “Oh. Sorry. I thought you were someone else.”
Todd should really be REALLY careful how he phases this. This sounds a bit too much like “your parents are wrong in the way they are raising you”.
If he’s really cconcerned he should drop her off home and be raising it with her parents.
Of course, they’re new to this place so there may well be cultural differences or just things they don’t understand or have overlooked. They may appreciate a human perpective.
I know i wouldn’t like hearing “so-and-so’s dad says this”.
Okay now I kinda want Todd to wind up teaching Te Fahn about “Tricky People.” The actually *useful* material about how to tell when adults (even if you know them) are being sketchy and when you should tell a more trusted adult about their sketchy behavior.
To be fair, kids are more likely to be hurt by family members or other trusted adults than strangers in part because those trusted adults have more opportunities. I do think people often over-focus on stranger danger, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a risk.
The main thing with “stranger danger” is that you shouldn’t do what random people tell you to. Random person feels like saying hello? Probably harmless. Random person wants you to get in his car? Politely say “no” and then quickly get out of there.
On that note, random person – even a friend of the family – telling you you’re not allowed to take the bus on your own? That’s none of his business. What does he know anyway?
I appreciate this since like. Yeah this is just how it is sometimes. Some kids are gonna have parents who need to work, and wind up having to be kinda independent. And also: yeah that’s scary and risky, esp for a kid whos a minority, which sarnothi on land are. Bite or not, she’s still smaller then an adult human, i get worrying.
But also: such is the way. Do the classy thing and just offer to drive her or have sleepovers. Community baybeeee
Taking the bus is safer than walking. Too many people in a small space for someone to cause trouble without being noticed.
Depends on how dark and hidden it is. Sometimes that makes it easier to steal something off of you. Also someone could hide a knife and stab you while leaving in a crowd. Not to mention if there is a group or if the bus driver is in on it (or is it and you are alone on the bus).
Still it is normally better than walking or a subway.
As someone who’s been attacked by someone while getting off a bus, its a lot harder to get away when you try to do something between people. and more often then not, you got nowhere to run. sadly though. some people think they can STILL get away.
in my case. the guy tried to suckerpunch me while he was stepping off the bus, spun around and only managed to knock my glasses off, i shoved him on his ass, grabbed him by the sleeve and started to drag him back up so as to beat the crap out of him.
LSS, he didnt like something i said about homeless people (and in Portland, we have a growing problem with it) commenting that if they didnt do stupid shit, they wouldnt have incidents while in custody (several years back, a homeless man died in police custody, but guy had basically attacked a cop and tried to steal their gun, cops didnt take it well)
that i had greater concern over several Officer-involved shootings (i lived in a house near where 7 out of 8 recent shootings at the time) than homeless folks pissed him off. (and this was shortly after the incident where someone stabbed three people on the MAX following the trump 2016 victory.
No one needed your right-wing hero story, bro…
Todd is being a real worrywart for someone who was supposedly a punk.
Te Fahn is what, 10? 12? she’s fine to go on the bus.
About 9 like Selkie, I assume. Still, I’d trust even a little smaller variant of a razor-teethed, dagger-clawed venomous carnivore be fine in most circumstances.
Although, for the Sarnothi integration into human society in general, it might be worth taking extra steps to prevent any incidents where the differences get to… shine… too much.
That’s the thing that bothers me. I trust her to be sensible. I don’t trust other people to be sensible, and she makes a very obvious and young target for someone that specifically wants to target Sarnothi.
That doesn’t even get into who the cops might side with if something does happen. If it is her word againsr someone else’s (even a human teenager), who’s word do you think the cop will take?
Right, the cops know that the G-men will come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who touches a Sarnothi. And frankly, Te Fahn is right, any attacker deserves what they will get.
Well, yes, he was a punk, but now he’s a father, and that makes you shift your point of view in some things.
And The Fahn is supposed to be the level headed one….
Also in b4 we get stories of weirdos trying to go after Sarnothi children for inappropriate stuff only to end up in the hospital due to an impromptu amputation performed by said Sarnothi children.
Also she is giving Selkie ideas. This can only end badly .
Speak softly and carry big… teeth with paralyzing venom in them, I guess.
I think Te Fahn is becoming my favorite character.
Turns out there’s more stuff than just the language that Selkie did not know.
For better or worse…
To be fair I agree with Selkies Friend.
I took the bus around NYC when I was eight. In the 70s. How did this punk child grow into a helicopter parent?
Same energy:
“People who are rather more than six feet tall and nearly as broad across the shoulders often have uneventful journeys. People jump out at them from behind rocks then say things like, “Oh. Sorry. I thought you were someone else.”
― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
I’m Imagining Te Fahn makes noises like animal from the muppets when she shakes her head like that, although spelling it out would be tricky.
Love it
“Then they shouldn’t try to hurt me.” Girl speaks the truth.
Todd should really be REALLY careful how he phases this. This sounds a bit too much like “your parents are wrong in the way they are raising you”.
If he’s really cconcerned he should drop her off home and be raising it with her parents.
Of course, they’re new to this place so there may well be cultural differences or just things they don’t understand or have overlooked. They may appreciate a human perpective.
I know i wouldn’t like hearing “so-and-so’s dad says this”.
TE FAHN!! Ur suppsed to be the pacifist here!
Most kids are hurt by family members, not strangers. Stranger Danger from the 80s was misguided. Kids will be fine walking to the bus.
Okay now I kinda want Todd to wind up teaching Te Fahn about “Tricky People.” The actually *useful* material about how to tell when adults (even if you know them) are being sketchy and when you should tell a more trusted adult about their sketchy behavior.
To be fair, kids are more likely to be hurt by family members or other trusted adults than strangers in part because those trusted adults have more opportunities. I do think people often over-focus on stranger danger, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a risk.
The main thing with “stranger danger” is that you shouldn’t do what random people tell you to. Random person feels like saying hello? Probably harmless. Random person wants you to get in his car? Politely say “no” and then quickly get out of there.
On that note, random person – even a friend of the family – telling you you’re not allowed to take the bus on your own? That’s none of his business. What does he know anyway?
Loving the last panel. 😀
I liked the fact (and the way) she mimed it,rather than tossing out a breezy ‘I’d bite them.’ The look in her eyes added ‘… you are an idiot.’
she has a point.
wonder if we’ll ever see that in action?
I appreciate this since like. Yeah this is just how it is sometimes. Some kids are gonna have parents who need to work, and wind up having to be kinda independent. And also: yeah that’s scary and risky, esp for a kid whos a minority, which sarnothi on land are. Bite or not, she’s still smaller then an adult human, i get worrying.
But also: such is the way. Do the classy thing and just offer to drive her or have sleepovers. Community baybeeee
Nothing to do with today’s comic.
Saw this today and immediately thought PANTS!!
https://58b06ca73848ffa6c66b7f3b093d1879.r2.cloudflarestorage.com/smith-wessonforum-internal-data/attachments/662/662943-9e4efec5a91b45eebeb041e84fd66357.data?response-expires=Sun%2C%2017%20Aug%202025%2019%3A55%3A42%20GMT&response-content-type=image%2Fjpeg&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=a0d23f2b1fc01412f00f3002f61a0dfe%2F20250810%2Fauto%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250810T195542Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=4bb77d49cd211988f40e4f3f77f10951f05ced2869b0805760918e58382e4c26
TIS ME BIRTHDAY!
Women really need venom IRL