It was hard, if not painful, for the dozen or so Olympic-jacketed patriots to ignore "Laura" as she sat grousing loudly on the bus.
She was letting everyone know she hates what has gone on this past week in downtown Salt Lake City with the Games.
The Avenues-area homeowner made it increasingly clear she doesn't like the Olympics, never wanted the Games to come here and especially abhors all the downtown vehicular and pedestrian traffic, not to mention the melee caused Feb. 7 by preparations for the arriving Olympic torch at the state Capitol.
And don't even get her started on the millions that Utah and the federal government have spent "with our tax dollars" to get Salt Lake City and its surrounding Olympic venues all dolled up for the Games and the state's big dance with the world.
"This is a two-week mess I am going to do my best to avoid," said Laura. "I don't plan to even leave the house; I'm not going to even turn on the TV."
Part of her pain comes from the fact that the downtown Salt Lake high school where she works "on contract" is closing for two weeks, "not because of the partying but because of the parking.
"It's like a two-week party for the wealthy that I'm not invited to. I have to work. And now, since I can't work, all I plan to do is read a book. . . . I have a friend who feels the same way," Laura continued. "She told me she's bought enough groceries for the next two weeks and that she's just going to just close her doors and only open them to get the mail."
Seem a bit extreme? Not necessarily.
Apparently there are many more "Lauras" in Salt Lake City and its surrounding areas.
"I won't say I'm avoiding it at all costs, but I'm definitely not going to chase it down either," another Avenues resident, Bernard Forand, 25, said of the Olympic events.
"I can't even bring myself to watch the TV with all the nauseating commercials and all the hype ? it's all too annoying." Forand was purposefully avoiding such hype by hiding from the Olympics behind a novel at a quiet Sugar House book store.
He was not alone. Charles and Gudrun Larsen took refuge at Barnes & Noble Booksellers as well. "We are watching the Olympics a bit on TV, but we are definitely staying home where it's nice and quiet and warm, where we can avoid the traffic. There's less hassle and it's cheaper," Gudrun Larsen said.
Meanwhile, the Olympics have appeared to woo one of its harshest critics with less-than-expected traffic congestion and no major incidents inflicted upon the environment so far. Longtime Utah Olympic critic Alexis Kelner admitted that, other than the Olympic bribery scandal "and the corruption it brought" to Utah, he could not complain.
"I actually attended the 15-kilometer women's freestyle (event) and the men's, too, and I actually didn't mind the traffic," Kelner said. "It's really a great event, the Olympics," he offered despite his participation last fall on a public panel at the University of Utah that held discussions about whether the Games were good for the environment ? including criticism about the five Olympic rings lighted along the city's eastern bench during the torch relay.
"Those opening ceremonies of the Games were good theater," he continued. "And though I've heard complaints from people in the neighborhood ? I myself walked past all those idling buses during the opening ceremonies and my throat is still raw ? it really was good."
Kelner said that when the torch came through his Avenues neighborhood, "my wife and I looked at each other and smiled and I said: 'Well, I guess there's no stopping this now. . . .' "
E-MAIL: nwagner@desnews.com