Bus Report #262
On Saturday M. and I were trying to take a 43 Masonic from Masonic and Turk to Cole Valley.
We'd just done our bit by giving blood at the Irwin Center (If you're eligible, may I nudge you to make an appointment? As usual, supplies are low.) and wanted to get some lunch.
After waiting a full half an hour, we decided we'd be better off walking.
It turned out to be the right decision.
We walked all the way over to Cole Valley and did not see any 43 Masonics going in our direction.
There were at least 5 people waiting at each stop, too.
No good.
After lunch, feeling refreshed and ready to face the world, I went across the street to the 43 Masonic stop. Two girls in their early teens sat in the bus shelter, sharing headphones and singing 'Let It Be' in sweet high-pitched voices.
I asked them how long they had been waiting.
"One hour so far," said the chattier of the two.
Five minutes later the bus came, and it was crowded. We squeezed on. I moved to the back, accidentally stepping on someone's foot.
An overly made up high school girl wearing too-tight, too-small clothes sucked her teeth at me and cut her heavily-mascaraed eyes at me.
I ignored her.
She and her friends got out at Haight and I managed to get a seat.
At Haight and Masonic a mom with 3 little kids got on. Mom had the baby in a sling. The little girl and little boy stood right in front of me, trying to stay close to Mom on the crowded bus.
The little girl smiled at me and said, "this is a really crowded bus!"
I told her, "It’s a good thing you're little so you can fit."
She smiled. "We're going to the toy store!" she said. Her little brother nodded enthusiastically.
"Lucky you," I said.
"We have a 25 dollar gift card," she explained. "6 dollars for me, 6 for Tony, and the rest for her." she gestured at her baby sister.
Mom said, "For diapers."
The got off at Masonic and Geary.
Later that day, as I waited for a 2 Clement for way too long, I decided to find out what was going on. I mean, weekend buses are never good, but this was ridiculous.
So I called 311 and was immediately connected to an apologetic woman who told me the 43 Masonic had 'a lot of buses out of service' that day. As for the 2 Clement, she promised it would be there in a minute.
Were the 43 Masonic drivers on a sick out like the dispatchers were the other day?
It's hard to say but honestly how many buses can be out of service on the same line, on the same day?
The 2 Clement did come a few minutes later.
It lurched down the street, stopping short at the lights and trying to give us all whiplash.
We'd just done our bit by giving blood at the Irwin Center (If you're eligible, may I nudge you to make an appointment? As usual, supplies are low.) and wanted to get some lunch.
After waiting a full half an hour, we decided we'd be better off walking.
It turned out to be the right decision.
We walked all the way over to Cole Valley and did not see any 43 Masonics going in our direction.
There were at least 5 people waiting at each stop, too.
No good.
After lunch, feeling refreshed and ready to face the world, I went across the street to the 43 Masonic stop. Two girls in their early teens sat in the bus shelter, sharing headphones and singing 'Let It Be' in sweet high-pitched voices.
I asked them how long they had been waiting.
"One hour so far," said the chattier of the two.
Five minutes later the bus came, and it was crowded. We squeezed on. I moved to the back, accidentally stepping on someone's foot.
An overly made up high school girl wearing too-tight, too-small clothes sucked her teeth at me and cut her heavily-mascaraed eyes at me.
I ignored her.
She and her friends got out at Haight and I managed to get a seat.
At Haight and Masonic a mom with 3 little kids got on. Mom had the baby in a sling. The little girl and little boy stood right in front of me, trying to stay close to Mom on the crowded bus.
The little girl smiled at me and said, "this is a really crowded bus!"
I told her, "It’s a good thing you're little so you can fit."
She smiled. "We're going to the toy store!" she said. Her little brother nodded enthusiastically.
"Lucky you," I said.
"We have a 25 dollar gift card," she explained. "6 dollars for me, 6 for Tony, and the rest for her." she gestured at her baby sister.
Mom said, "For diapers."
The got off at Masonic and Geary.
Later that day, as I waited for a 2 Clement for way too long, I decided to find out what was going on. I mean, weekend buses are never good, but this was ridiculous.
So I called 311 and was immediately connected to an apologetic woman who told me the 43 Masonic had 'a lot of buses out of service' that day. As for the 2 Clement, she promised it would be there in a minute.
Were the 43 Masonic drivers on a sick out like the dispatchers were the other day?
It's hard to say but honestly how many buses can be out of service on the same line, on the same day?
The 2 Clement did come a few minutes later.
It lurched down the street, stopping short at the lights and trying to give us all whiplash.
posted by Rachel at 11:38 AM
2 Comments:
Those kids must have been heartbroken when they discovered that the Toys-r-us at Geary closed months ago.
OH NO!
I completely forgot that!
Poor little kiddies.
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