So today on the bus...
visual: Bad hair day called for my LA fitted baseball hat atop my green sunglasses, purple bamboo long-sleeve tee and navy lululemon leggings sit on the front of the bus on the way home.
The air is chilly today. I feel like LA is tricking us with these super sunny weeks and then chilly and somewhat drizzling weekends! This is not what I signed up for.
I sit in the front of my crowded bus this early evening and just relax.
There is a man in the back yelling about this and that. I swear I heard him yell: "I drank it! I drank the horse urine. I did! There aren't kids back here so I am just telling you....". And he went on and on about the horse urine. Not necessarily talking to anyone in particular. Just everyone and no one.
Horse urine? I just do not even know where that thought might have come from? You cannot help but listen.
My stop approaches and I exit the bus and thank my bus driver. They must hear the most interesting things on a full day of bus driving. I will write a poem for them soon...stay tuned. My 'Ode to a Bus Driver'....hell, I could be the next Shel Silverstein!
But for now, I leave the bus and head home in the chilly breeze.
As I turn the corner around the Veteran's Park, there is trash EVERYWHERE. I bend over and pick up a plastic bag rolling in the wind and put a couple items in it.
A white Honda Civic pulls over and rolls down the window, an English woman leans over and yells to me in her amazing accent, "That was a wonderful thing you did there. I was going to get out and do the same and you took care of it". I smiled and said, "we all do our part!". She threw me a thumbs up and drove off.
How lovely. She pulled over to thank me for taking care of our good Earth. That felt right.
We can all do our part. The bus drivers deal with us crazies (me being one of them), we give thanks where thanks is due, we pick up trash on the floor of the World, and we can be happy....every day.
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I may get the pink slip soon at work due to upcoming lay offs. Your story and blog made the possibility of having to give up my car less scary. I added your link to my blog. I'm a playwright and imagine that taking up public transportation will also open up a whole new world and invite all sorts of creativity. See you on the Metro!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your blog. I'm a fan of public transport as well and the way you see the simple things about it and the world is truly inspiring. Keep up :))
ReplyDeleteGreat seeing your adventures here and took notice when you were talking about wilshire and that area. Although i am a las vegan, i was with wife there when she had double lung transplant in past few years at ucla and we had to stay in that area for couple months afterwards just in case! Got to know santa monica area and ocean and lots of meals at a delores restaurant on santa monica bld.
ReplyDeleteKeep up your stories and good luck to you!
jim1014
The man yelling in the back of the bus may have been suffering from mental disease.
ReplyDeleteHope he gets the proper care he deserves.
What a great blog!
Do right by the earth and it will do right by you...
ReplyDeleteRgds,
Reamus
Hey, I love your blog! And congrats on the LA Times article...very cool. It's interesting to learn about how the metro system is in Cali, since I will hopefully be relocating there soon. I've been using public transport here in Rhode Island for a while. Unfortunately, there's still a stigma attached to using the bus here,most people are not friendly (unless you count cold stares/dirty looks, or getting ogled by drunk dudes, ha ha), there seems to be an unwritten rule about chatting, like it's a smelly library on wheels or something, the downtown bus station is akin to a prison movie, the bus does not have colorful seats (all gray, lol) and once in a blue moon you may stumble upon a responsive bus driver (ex: I say hello, how are you? driver says something like "Unnnh" WTF?) Anyway, I greatly enjoy your bus stories & appreciate your upbeat attitude. You have inspired me to try my best to be friendly and "tune-in" on the bus no matter what response I get. Thanks! Michelle :o)
ReplyDeleteI met my wife on a city bus 26 years ago, so I read with great joy your story in the LATIMES. Thanks and we hope it continues to work as well for you as it has for us.
ReplyDeleteP.S. We love your green glasses and multi-colored jacket.
I enjoy your blog. Thanks for writing. I like the fact that you acknowledge the fact that Metro does have good bus operators. The majority get a bad rap because of the minority that are not courteous or friendly. I've worked for Metro for 24 years. I began my career as a bus operator a long time ago and I enjoyed my customers and their personalities (sometimes multiple...lol!). I've lived and experienced your bus adventures first hand. Keep the stories coming.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the LAT article and your blog. I gave up my car almost two years ago. I live very close to work and bike to work now. I have used the bike racks on the buses. I love the mobility that I can get with bike+bus! And a bike with a rack is a great way to get groceries home!
ReplyDelete