THE JOYS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

What’s with these last few weeks? Usually my life is quite uneventful--nothing to justify writing about--but such bizarre things have been happening. (Maybe starting this blog wasn’t such a great idea after all.)

Always enjoyed riding buses in the past. You could get a lot accomplished. Reading. Writing. Studying. Now, I’m not so sure. Would guess that most people think the dregs of society take public transportation. Yeah, you would have your drunkards and those with questionable hygiene, but for the most part my experience consisted of students and professional people who found life much easier with somebody else driving and less expensive.

As you know, my Saturn was in the shop until Monday evening. Decided the best way to pick up the car after work would be either by taxi ($19-$23) or the city bus ($2.25). Guess which one I chose? Besides I could spend the time writing some blogs. After work I walked a block to the bus stop and only had to wait a few minutes before it came. We had just gone a few blocks when an altercation occurred (this battle was building when I got on) between a 9-month pregnant woman and a long-haired man with crutches. They each spewed foul language and verbal insults at each other with spit flying back and forth across the aisle (he started it). The woman became so incensed she went over to the guy and started punching him. Fortunately, the bus driver’s call to the cops put this psycho drama to rest.

We sat and waited and sat and waited and sat and waited (there were several of us who had to make another connection so, of course, we weren’t in any hurry). Mr. “Wack Job” thought the woman had left (she was sitting further back) so he stepped off and sat down at the bus stop. As we waited, the woman uttered her concerns about being charged with assault. She was on probation and wondered if she should get off the bus. Being a former probation officer, I knew what I’d tell her, but decided to keep my mouth shut--just wanted to get my car. The driver received a call back and asked the woman if she wanted to press charges. She declined and gladly we were on the road again, leaving Mr. WJ in the dust. Probably not a nice thing to say, but I felt sorry for the unborn baby.

Unfortunately, we missed our connection and had to wait in the cold another 20 minutes for the next bus. I was somewhat stressed all day wondering if my car would be done and whether I should take the bus to Saturn or home. It wasn’t until walking to the bus stop that I learned the car would be ready before closing. I left work at 4:30 and arrived at Saturn at 6:15. You know, I might have made it in the same amount of time if I had walked.