Sister Patty and Her Party Bus

So late night on the bus...

visual: Casual California evening attire for dinner, drinks and a little dancing call for actual denim jeans, a leopard print baggy yet all too trendy sweater and ... wait for it ... black high heels and a beaded headband run to the bus in the early hours after a fun-filled evening.

My best friend came to visit this past week. He is quite the character and we always find a good time wherever we go. Best part, he was so completely down to ride the bus all over town with me and I was all too excited to share my bus adventures with him!

So, this evening we went out to dinner in Venice at a great little spot. After some delicious entrees and one too many bottles of wine, my dear friend and I make it down to a birthday shin dig to dance away the evening. We were carpooling with said best friend's family and they dropped us off at our location in Santa Monica, knowing we would be in safe hands taking the bus back home. We drink, dance, carry on as happy people do for the rest of the evening.

Well, 1:30am rolls around and our departure time has arrived. Our friends are scattered. Some here. Some there. We announce our bus carriage is waiting and a couple other friends are riding with us. An all out party continuation on the best bus in the World, the Metro 720.

We stumble to the stop and wave down the bus as it nearly passes us by! We all jump on and insert our $1.25. I would love to say we entered quietly and found our seats home on this wonderful, sober ride - but that is not the case.


The party was not over for us.

We sit right down in front and have a good time with our bus driver. She was a firecracker just laughing at us and calling us all idiots. She had red lipstick and a voice that carried. I told her I thought she was awesome and wanted to submit her to the Metro bus services to be a candidate for the award for best late night bus driver. She got a kick out of that one. I have submitted her badge number and given her praises for patience and FUN!

She declined in telling me her name and thus somehow in my state of red wine consumption and dance hall delirium, she was deemed 'Patricia'. And then she became our SISTER PATTY! What a riot, she was hootin and hollering by now. Sister Patty, the lovely bus driver who took got us all safely home.

Now, if you do recall my Metro Christmas list, I did have on there that the Metro is like an all out party bus with good times and good friends. Also, I had a question about bus security. As I often see the Metro Police cars driving around, but never any Metro Police People on my bus. Ever.

What do you know if at the fourth stop, a larger security gentleman joined us on the bus.

Now, whether he was there for our protection or heading home after a long evening of security, I do not know. I check it off my wish list, regardless.

I was so happy. In that moment. With my dear friends riding my favorite bus.

Now, I know Sister Patty had a good time. All my friends had a great time. And the bus served this community well, as none of us on that bus had gotten behind the wheel of a car or handles of a bike and endangered the life of ourselves or another.

I thank the LA Metro for running at such later hours. Providing fun bus drivers like Sister Patty, security and safe rides.

I thank my friends for being just fun and choosing the bus route to get home safely. I am so lucky to have best friends that can experience public transit in a way that most never will.

I cherish this evening.


Oh. And last but not least, I apologize for the passengers in the back of the bus looking at us like we were crazy! I cherish you, too.


Have fun! Love life! Be happy in every moment!