Thursday, September 17, 2009

Bus Report #457

Is it me?
After a long day at work and errands downtown I caught a 31 Balboa and rode it out to my neighborhood. The 31 is a strange bus. It rolls through some of the dodgiest blocks in town and the passenger demographic changes almost completely from block to block. Sometimes the bus goes by places I'd like to check out: Krim Kram's, Aunt Charlie's, the tea place near the Phoenix hotel. The park between, what? Gough and Laguna? Am I getting it right? Gussie's Chicken and Waffles and, further out on Balboa, places I've been to that I'd like to visit again, like Namu, Lucky Ocean Aquarium and Sushi Bistro.
But.
When I signal for my stop well ahead of the stop, and am standing by the door, and you slow down for my stop but then don't open the door for me, what's that about? I called up to the driver, "Um, I signaled for [my street]. I'd like to get out, please."
He ignored me, sped up to the next stop.
Asshole. I'd understand if the signaler hadn't worked, but it had, the signal sound loud and staticky.
A handful of us tumbled out the back door at the next stop. Thanks, 31 Balboa driver.

This morning made up for yesterday, though. A smooth ride on a 38 followed by an uneventful ride on the 22, with the tall-sitting driver as our chauffeur.
As I got out the bus, I saw the teenage boy I'd seen a few weeks ago at the Blood Center. He smiled at me and said, "hey, how's it going?"
"Great, thanks," I replied.

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