Bus Report #677

In Muni's attempt to replace all the old bus shelters with new ones (that barely provide shelter, but that's another post), they've taken out #2 and #3 outbound bus shelter at Sutter and Fillmore and have yet to replace it.

I waited for the 2 one night recently, with no idea when to expect the bus (no shelter = no NextBus, unless I want to call 311 and wait... No smart phone for me).
A woman walked up to the stop, looked around and said, "Hey, wasn't there a bus shelter here two days ago?"
"Yep," I said.
"Do you know when the bus is coming?" she asked me.
I shrugged. "Maybe five minutes?" I said. "It usually comes around now."
"I'll take my chances," she said, and walked off.

Then a couple of tourists walked up. They held a crumpled map and looked lost.
"Can I help you find something?" I asked, pulling off my headphones.
"Can we catch a bus to Presidio here?" the wife asked.
"Yeah, the 2 should get you there," I said.
Her husband nodded. "Oh, good," he said.
"We don't take the bus often," explained the wife. "We're just in town visiting."
I imagined they were from somewhere in the midwest or east coast, judging from their too-light jackets and the man's shorts.
But no- They were from Davis.
"Can I ask you a question?" asked the wife.
I said sure.
"Do you live in a house or an apartment?" she asked.
"An apartment," I said. "But not a flat like those across the street." I gestured to the Victorians across the street, probably subdivided into flats. "My building's more like a concrete box."
She looked surprised. She said, "Just wondering. Are rents really high here? In Davis we can rent a house for less than $1,200.00 a month."
It was a strange conversation, but we chatted a bit longer and then the bus came and we all got on.
I said hello to several regulars and headed to the back of the bus.