Slightly Offended

I caught an earlier ride home the other afternoon and for the most part it was the usual ride home up Gratiot. We stopped at 7 Mile to pick up the typical large crowd and this young couple proceeded to find a seat. They paused near the rear door where I was sitting near the window. The young man asked me if I would mind moving to the seat in front of me where a large man was sitting so he could sit with his fiancee. I was put off by this suggestion for several reasons. 1. I was in a not-feeling-well mood. 2. Why was I always the person random strangers picked? 3. He would be spending the rest of his life with his fiance and could spare a few minutes not sitting next to her. 4. Why didn't he ask the man in the seat in front of me to move back to my seat? I chose to be snotty. I rose from my seat while saying, "I'm sure you'd appreciate it" and proceeded to stand at the front of the bus. Well, he realized he was being a tad rude and said, "Aw, come on don't be like that, sit here". I chose to ignore him. I only had a mile or so to go before my stop anyway. I should have been more understanding and less snotty but we can't reverse time and fix what we chose to do at the moment. If this ever happens again maybe I'll be more kind hearted.
bus rides = entertainment.

Mornings riding into Detroit are usually quiet but this day was the exception. I kept hearing a noise that I thought was associated with the bus. It sounded like it maybe a drive shaft that needed to be greased or something. After several stops were made to drop off some passengers I happened to look to my right and noticed a rather large man sleeping. I didn't think anything of it because you will find folks sleeping on the bus all the time anytime of day. I think these people are products of their parents attempt to lull them to sleep by the sound and movement of a vehicle - but I digress. I did keep hearing the the mysterious "mechanical" sound however. I did look back to the large man and realized in an 'aha' moment that this large man was the cause of the mysterious sound because he was snoring. I started to immediately smile and quietly chuckle at my sudden realization. A few people near me smiled for they too knew that the large man was snoring away on a quiet morning commute.
bus rides = entertainment.

Interesting Day

I heard someone at the front of the bus hawk up a loogie - loud and clear - and I saw 3 of the regular riders up front kind of look down and away. When I got off the bus I asked the regular rider I see all the time what was going on up front and she proceeded to tell me that the woman who was sitting across from her opened a FedEx envelope, crumbled some newspaper, placed it in the envelope and spit the loogie into the envelope. She also told me that this woman was wearing a couple of wigs that were over lapping on her head. Wow, I'm glad I was in the back of the bus this morning.

The ride home was interesting as well. A few of the regular riders caught the regular 560 instead of our usual 565 Limited because it arrived early. It had quite a few riders when we got on and by the time we hit 6 Mile it was SRO. I was starting to feel claustrophobia it was so crowed and the guy next to me reeked of beer and kept bumping into me when he felt the need to show PDA to his wife in front of him. When we got to 8 Mile I was happy to jump over the seat and exit the rear of the bus as fast as I could. I haven't had that overcrowded feeling on the bus in a very long time. TGIF.
bus rides = entertainment

Interesting Clothing Choice

I have to share what transpired last Friday. The bus was stopped in traffic just North of Eastern Market on the bridge over the Dequindre Cut due to a traffic accident at Chene. I burst out laughing because I couldn't contain myself at seeing the man wearing 2 tight women's bras. They were overlapping, one of white and one purple. He had a tight grey skirt pulled up quite high. It looked cool for the summer heat, too. I wanted to take a picture of him but I don't have a camera on my phone. I need to change that soon.
bus rides = entertainment.

The Case of the Clippers and the Zoo...

The Gratiot bus pulled up at Macomb Mall right on time this morning, and when the doors opened, I seriously thought twice about boarding. Coming from the bus was a cacophony of noise. I reluctantly stepped in, swiped my card, and looked at the driver. "Quite the zoo today!" I said. He smiled and shook his head. "Sure is!"

I weaved my way through the mass of yelling, crying, screaming, you name it children towards the back to find a seat. It was quite amusing watching the mom's trying to keep their children corralled.

Shortly after, I hear a distinctive "clip, clip, clip" sound. I look across from me, and hear is this guy clipping his nasty, dirty fingernails. And some of the parings are flying my way!! I gave him my best owlish, "Are you kidding me?" look, which phased him not at all. I resolved to have words with him if any landed on me, but lucky for him (or more likely, me) none did. He finally moved closer up front and resumed clipping. I wondered how much he had to go when he finally rang the bell. Quite the ride!

Feisty Old Man

I looked up from the funny novel I was reading to see who was raising his voice to the bus driver and saw this feisty old man at the back bus door. He was complaining that the driver didn't stop at his spot after Seven Mile Road. The driver told him he'd have to pull the signal earlier if he wanted to get off at Seven Mile because he was past it. He insisted that there was a closer stop to where he now was and advised the driver that he should tell SMART to make a stop closer. What the older man didn't realize was that he was stopping at the next stop after Seven Mile. The driver told the older man that the City of Detroit was responsible for the drop off locations in the city. The old man exited still agitated at the driver. I even heard one of the passengers at the rear of the bus confirm that it was indeed the next stop after Seven Mile. The poor old guy probably had farther to walk than he anticipated.
bus rides = entertainment.

Two Cute Girls & Voting

Thursday night, July 15th, I went to the back of the bus and to my surprise there were two girls one was three and one four years old. They were both quite pleasant. I asked M. if they belonged to her but she said their mother was at the front of the bus. They were playing with some bus tickets and trying to give them away as if they were going to perform a card trick. I took one and gave it to the other girl at which point I was promptly scolded and told, "that's my ticket". What do I know. Then the fun part came up. "Smell my feet" they both said and I promptly said nope to which they laughed and would continue to do so for a while. I explained that young ladies should keep their legs down and their dresses down but that didn't matter. I heard the mother at the front of the bus yell to the girls to put their feet down to which they obeyed. M. made a comment to the younger girl that she liked her sandals and the older girl said that they were hers and wanted to trade footwear with the girl. We tried to figure out if they were sisters but I didn't think that they were. Then a while later the older girl was saying that her feet hurt and that she wanted a bandage for her sore. Sure enough she had a raw spot at the back of her heel where the shoe rubs. I thought I had a Band-Aid in my bag but S. beat me to it and we put it on her. Now the younger girl said her had a sore foot and wanted a bandage so M. proceeded to put it on her. Monkey see, monkey do I guess. It was an entirely enjoyable ride.
One of the other regular riders asked if we were all going to vote in August because the Macomb County Commissioners wants to opt out of SMART bus service for Macomb. I told her that I was indeed going to vote. She also said we should contact our commissioners to let them know that it is a vital service and to not vote to opt out of the service. I really don't know where some of the commissioners come up with these harebrained ideas. This is a vital service for all of Macomb County and if they vote to take it away they are once again screwing the little guy. If in fact they feel that it needs to be overhauled in any way they should get involved with SMART to figure it out. Isn't that why we have elected officials to solve problems and not create problems.
Bus rides = entertainment

The Sniffer...

I don't have allegies, and generally I don't get colds easily. That being said, why do people just sit and snort/sniff instead of just blowing their nose? I guess I can understand allergies, but I really wanted to clock this fella who sat next to me this morning. Every 5 seconds...sniff...sniff...sniff. I'm very grateful that I don't have allergies...

Molested on the Bus!!

In all my years of riding the bus, I have never been groped. But I was last night. By a sly, stealthy little creature, disguised as an innocent little baby.

We picked up a group of folks around 8 mile or so. They boarded the bus, and among them was an older lady shuffling two older girls and the aforementioned mischevious little imp, maybe 18 months.

I normally doze on the bus, so I closed my eyes and went back to sleep. I begin feeling a pawing at my side, proceeding up to my left breast. I opened my eyes and gave him a "you stop that" sort of stare, which, not surprisely, did not faze him at all. Grandma was chiding him, saying, "Stop that, you don't know that lady, and she doesn't need you harassing her." She ended the conversation by pinning his arms to his side as best she could. I went back to sleep.

All of a sudden, my bra strap is yanked down! What a grip this tyke had! He had a great big smile on his face when my eyes flew open. "Guh!!" he said. "NO!" I said, pulling up my strap. Grandma was horrified, apologizing over and over. I poked him in the nose, and said, "You are going to be the bane of your Grandma!" Fortunately by this time the bus was making the Michigan Left onto south-bound Gratiot at the mall, and I could depart. But it made for an interesting ride!

A Good Laugh

Sometimes it's nice to talk to the regular riders you've known for a long time and have a great laugh. Usually the topic meanders from the original topic but we all manage to follow along. Today two of us crazy/fun people were cracking each other up over the name of a sporting goods store chain - Dicks. You can well imagine how off color we became. My favorite thing to observe on the bus is a person who is stuck close by and without dipping into our conversation manage to smirk. Good times.
bus rides = entertainment.

Headphones

I find that since I carry my MP3 player with me on the bus I'm using it as a kind of crutch. What I mean is that I'd rather listen to the radio or music than to talk to people. In a way I think it's kind of sad of me to purposefully avoid human vocal contact but some days I just want to listen in my own little world. The fact that I'm realizing this recent behavior is good in that I can think about it the next time I reach for the electronic device. I could be missing out on some interesting writing material as well. Something to think about though.
bus rides = entertainment.

Loudest Bus Award

This morning's bus ride in to Detroit was giving me a headache due to the fact that the brakes needed some work as well as something to do with the transmission or drive shaft. The bus was so loud I actually thought we were going to break down. Usually when there is a major problem with the bus you hear an alarm go off at the front. I've seen bus drivers just continue to drive on while it's going off and a few times the bus will actually be stuck for a bit at a stop due to a stall and the driver will have to restart the bus. Well this morning's bus driver got a lemon of a bus for his route, that's all I can say. Luckily I only had to endure the din for twenty minutes. I'm sure every bus needs to be inspected everyday for safety but I wonder what the maintenance schedule at the bus yard is like. It's probably rife with red-tape and paperwork. For me it's still the most economical way to get to work, (considering gas, parking, maintenance, & time) and it's better for the environment with less cars on the road. So you may want to consider the bus if you don't already take it. People tend to take advantage of not having to concentrate on driving. Some people read, some women apply makeup, some knit or crochet, some work on laptops, some play games, watch video or listen to the news with thier headphones on and feel productive.
bus rides = entertainment

Feed the Birds

All I could think of was the song from Mary Poppins, "Feed The Birds", as I was waiting for the bus next to the City-County Building this afternoon. I had to chuckle because an old lady was feeding pigeons from her cart in the middle of all the folks waiting for the bus and walking by on the sidewalk. Apparently those people are more patient and tolerant than I would be with lots of pigeons scrambling about for the bread. As I was watching the show with a smile and a chuckle a lady a few feet away caught my eye and she was smiling as well. Life is full of surprises, chuckles and bird lovers.
bus rides = entertainment

Typical Monday

It turned out to be a typical day on Monday. I was standing at the bus stop, my usual one, and I noticed a flurry of angry birds in the median screaming at what appeared to be a kitten directly across from me. After the traffic cleared I walked across Gratiot and yes indeed it was a kitten lying in the grass. I didn't know what to do in the minimal amount of time I had. How did a black kitten end up in the median? It was either injured, weak or both. I left it for mother nature to sort out because my bus was two blocks away.
I boarded the bus and sat at the back. When we got to Seven Mile a mother with an infant was helped by a kind gentleman to get her stroller off the bus - I like to see people step up to lend a helping hand. Later on at the Blvd. the driver recognized an old friend waiting for the DDOT bus and offered him a ride (technically a no-no but what's the harm). We have a sweet driver in the morning. She is always smiling and friendly. When we got to Conner there was a person banging on the side of the bus as we pulled off so the driver stopped to tell the man she couldn't pick up people on the way Downtown but it was a passenger she let off earlier who forgot his bag on the bus. Boy did he luck out. All in all a typical day on the 560.
bus rides = entertainment

Close Call on Gratiot

The middle of last week was quite an eye opener when it comes to drivers on the road. The bus was nearing the intersection of Gratiot and Randolph when a woman decides she is suddenly in the wrong lane and brakes. Apparently she didn't notice the large bus in her rear view mirror! The bus driver slammed the brakes and we all held on for fear of flying out of our seats. The woman crossed two lanes of traffic to park at a meter on the street. Wow! she could have had a painful rectal exam by the bus just then if not for the quick thinking of the bus driver.
bus rides = entertainment

Who You Run Into

Some days you never realize you may run into someone you haven't seen in a while on the bus. It was the case for me Friday on the way home. I stepped onto the bus and heard my name looked up and saw it was a former co-worker and home town friend from way back. It was nice to spend the trip home catching up on each others family and goings on. It makes the ride enjoyable. Hope you all get to catch up with and old friend soon.
bus rides = entertainment

A Foggy Day In D-Town

It started out as a brisk walk in the fog to the bus stop and the worry that the bus would pass me by due to the thick fog but it didn't thankfully. I froze for about 10 minutes and I boarded, said my hellos and made my way to the back of the bus. There was a guy zoned out with headphones on across from me. It didn't last long because shortly after I sat down he went into the, "this is a kick ass song mode" and was tapping his feat and gyrating in his seat - basically dancing like he was at a nightclub. It was quite amusing to watch and put a smile on my face. I should note that he had his eyes closed the whole time.

The fog was really slowing the traffic down to a crawl and apparently the bus driver ticked off a driver in the center lane because he cut right in front of the bus and slowed to a 2 mph crawl. When the traffic on the left cleared the bus driver got over and the car driver flipped us the bird.
bus rides = entertainment

I'M A LISTENER - Patrick Sharpe

On the way into work I ended up standing near the front of the bus. I got sized up by a man standing up front as well. He asked me where I worked - I told him and he jumped to the conclusion that I made six figures at which point I set him straight. He immediately proceeded to tell me about his business idea in GREAT detail for the whole 1/2 hour ride downtown. The man was obviously working on his business pitch with me. That evening a couple of regular riders who happened to witness my skill in listening were razzing me about my situation. All in fun.
Bus rides = entertainment

A Crappy Story to share with you...

Well, I am officially back on the bus! After almost four months of being laid off, I am back. Not at the same pay rate, and certainly not back where I was at, but I guess I should not complain.

Anyhow, back to the present. I had a rather uneventful bus ride this morning. I rode the Gratiot run because I have a funeral to go to on that side of town tonight. I got off the bus and walked down Randolph to the corner of Congress. There is a bench there that a homeless person sometimes occupies (which, by the way, how are they going to fine the homeless for not carrying health insurance?). What was there to greet me?

Three large piles of human feces (aka shit). Nice way to start the day. I'll be crossing the street from now on. Interesting that it is right across the street from the Wayne County Building (aka Coleman A. Young Municipal Building).