Bus Report #939
Walking to the bus stop this morning, I could feel the promise of rain in the air. There was a soupy heaviness to it, and the sky was a dark shade of blue-black-green.
The wind grabbed my hair, twisting and pulling it in every direction so that my shadow on the sidewalk made me look like a Medusa.
I waited in the dark for the bus. My new favorite morning driver, the one who reminds me of Jason (the original headphones guy), sped by in the opposite direction. He waved at me as he passed by. A few days ago he told me he thought I must love fresh air, since I spend so much time waiting outside for the bus. I told him he was right, I do like fresh air. But I also like catching the bus on time.
Just a few minutes later he was headed back. He stopped and I got on the bus. "You don't take a break before you turn around?" I asked. "You're always so quick."
He smiled. "Well, I could, but this time of the morning I'm still fresh and I'd rather just get out there." He picked up a piece of paper - it was the schedule of when he is supposed to get to each stop. "See, it says here I'm supposed to hit Castro and 18th at 6:14, and then Stanyan and Haight at 6:26,* but that's crazy cause sometimes it takes fifteen minutes, and then it throws everything off."
"Wow, they should re-time the distances, that seems a little fast, even in the morning," I replied.
"Yeah, it can really mess you up for the whole shift," he said.
We chatted some more and then I went to sit down.
Everyone who got on the bus was wearing their version of foul weather gear. One girl, who usually had sandals or flip flops on, wore black Hunter boots. Another woman traded her sweatshirt for a heavy-duty rain coat. I am never dressed properly for the weather, my only concession to the day was my tall boots, worn for the first time this season.
Later, walking down 16th Street, I saw a man who I always think might be named Richard or Ricardo, not that I have any real idea. We've been commuting in the same direction for years. We have finally started saying hi to each other when our paths cross. Today he was on a 22 Fillmore, sleepily staring out the window. We acknowledged each other with a slight tilt of the head, a nod. He grinned.
*The times may be different than what I reported above, what can I say, it was early in the morning!
The wind grabbed my hair, twisting and pulling it in every direction so that my shadow on the sidewalk made me look like a Medusa.
I waited in the dark for the bus. My new favorite morning driver, the one who reminds me of Jason (the original headphones guy), sped by in the opposite direction. He waved at me as he passed by. A few days ago he told me he thought I must love fresh air, since I spend so much time waiting outside for the bus. I told him he was right, I do like fresh air. But I also like catching the bus on time.
Just a few minutes later he was headed back. He stopped and I got on the bus. "You don't take a break before you turn around?" I asked. "You're always so quick."
He smiled. "Well, I could, but this time of the morning I'm still fresh and I'd rather just get out there." He picked up a piece of paper - it was the schedule of when he is supposed to get to each stop. "See, it says here I'm supposed to hit Castro and 18th at 6:14, and then Stanyan and Haight at 6:26,* but that's crazy cause sometimes it takes fifteen minutes, and then it throws everything off."
"Wow, they should re-time the distances, that seems a little fast, even in the morning," I replied.
"Yeah, it can really mess you up for the whole shift," he said.
We chatted some more and then I went to sit down.
Everyone who got on the bus was wearing their version of foul weather gear. One girl, who usually had sandals or flip flops on, wore black Hunter boots. Another woman traded her sweatshirt for a heavy-duty rain coat. I am never dressed properly for the weather, my only concession to the day was my tall boots, worn for the first time this season.
Later, walking down 16th Street, I saw a man who I always think might be named Richard or Ricardo, not that I have any real idea. We've been commuting in the same direction for years. We have finally started saying hi to each other when our paths cross. Today he was on a 22 Fillmore, sleepily staring out the window. We acknowledged each other with a slight tilt of the head, a nod. He grinned.
*The times may be different than what I reported above, what can I say, it was early in the morning!
posted by Rachel at 9:45 AM
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