The people on the bus are such a motley bunch, that I had to write about them. They get up on the various stops along the way, but the majority of them board the bus at the North Lamar Transit Center when I'm going to office. They seem to be from all walks of life, all types of people. Young, old, happy, angry, or simply indifferent -- they make for interesting viewing. I usually go through The Daily Texan on the bus, but I put it aside and watch the people sidealong.
There's a guy called Billy who boards at the NLTC. He's probably in his fifties; maybe even sixties. Gnarled and with a weather-beaten face and wispy white hair through which his scalp pokes through, he is the chattiest one on the bus, the one who typically sidles along to the driver (today it was a guy called Bart), knows them all by name, and talks endlessly (I don't know what he says, though.....the iPod is going full-strength in my ears when I'm on the bus). I once met him while returning from the office, and since we were the only ones at the stop, we struck up a conversation, and that's how I came to know his name, and the fact that he has a 21-year-old son, and how he pooled his entire pay for the week to buy a $100 mountain bike from Wal-Mart of which he's inordinately proud.
Then there's this hippie-type guy who boards at US 183 and Burnet. He has long dark hair, which streams out open behind him. A cap is usually worn backward, and he usually wears dark t-shirts with the word 'Texas' written on it, with ferocious-looking flames surrounding it. Interesting chap.
Then there's this big, big guy who boards at NLTC. He glowers at everyone as he gets in, forehead seemingly forever puckered in a frown. His bald head shines in the overhead lights in the bus, and his loose Spurs jersey flutters slightly in the wind. His every footstep seems to make the bus shake from side to side. He usually goes right to the back of the bus, thankfully. I don't think I could stand that piercing glare for ten minutes, especially coming from a real-life Grawp (those who've read Harry Potter know what I mean).
Then, there's a little old lady who gets up somewhere near Metric and Braker (this is on the 392). She's tiny, with short dark hair going gray. She peers over her glasses at the driver as she swipes her Cap Metro card through the reader. She usually gets off on Shropshire Blvd, and an almost identical lady boards the bus at the next stop!
There's a good-looking guy who boards at the NLTC. He looks a little like Eric Bana, the actor, and always has some kind of book or the other clutched in his hand. He usually buries his nose in the book the moment he gets a seat.
There are so many people on the bus! It's almost impossible to describe them all.....but these are some of the regulars!
Showing posts with label bus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bus. Show all posts
Monday, July 30, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Altercation on the bus
And I thought all the excitement in the day was over.
This happened when I was returning from work. I was traveling in the 392, rather tired out from having to rise at 5:30 every morning for the past week (!). The bus went down Braker, driven by a tiny woman, shorter than even me, I should think. At Braker and Lamar, a scruffy man got onto the bus. I looked at him curiously, and then wrinkled my nose -- I bet he hadn't seen the inside of a bath, or something like it, in at least ten years. He stank!! I looked out of the window indifferently. I think he said something, but I had Linkin Park going on full steam in my ears, and didn't notice.
I first noticed how loud he was getting a couple of stops down the line. He seemed to be rather upset with the driver, and even I had to acknowledge that something was up. Anyone who can penetrate LP's music has serious lung power. Stinker was getting all worked up about something, and seemed to be letting it out on the driver. She seemed to be getting rather annoyed, and said something, which set Stinker off. "I asked a damn question!" he yelled, loud enough for me to hear. I couldn't ignore it any more, and looked cautiously at the pair. Stinker was sitting nearby, and I contemplated moving away, when he suddenly lost it. "I f***ing asked you a question!" he told the driver. Bad move, Stinker. Swearing on a Capital Metro bus is an offense, and a driver has full right to throw you out of the bus if you do so. That's precisely what the little woman did. The bus screeched to a halt (with no stop in sight), almost throwing me and the other guy on the bus to the floor. Stinker seemed well prepared for it, though.
"Get off," said the driver, rather evenly, I thought. My voice would have been quavering in such a situation, either through fright or rage.
"What?" said Stinker, obviously bewildered.
"Get off this bus, now," commanded the driver. I don't care how little she was, she was scary.
Stinker rose to his full height -- which was a rather intimidating 6 feet and some inches -- and refused to do so. "I asked you a damn question!" he repeated, like a broken record.
The driver reached for something -- a radio panel, I suppose, to ask for help, and Stinker finally for the idea. He got off the bus, muttering to himself (this I couldn't hear -- Chester's vocals drowned it out) and suddenly went ballistic. He hammered on the closing door, yelling, "F*** you!! I just asked a f***ing question!!" Now that, I must admit, scared me a bit. He looked mad enough to produce a knife or gun out of his (filthy) pocket, and start waving it around. Luckily, the bus moved off. I sat stiffly for the next ten minutes, relaxing only when Braker and Burnet came by.
Never a lack of entertainment on the buses of Austin!
This happened when I was returning from work. I was traveling in the 392, rather tired out from having to rise at 5:30 every morning for the past week (!). The bus went down Braker, driven by a tiny woman, shorter than even me, I should think. At Braker and Lamar, a scruffy man got onto the bus. I looked at him curiously, and then wrinkled my nose -- I bet he hadn't seen the inside of a bath, or something like it, in at least ten years. He stank!! I looked out of the window indifferently. I think he said something, but I had Linkin Park going on full steam in my ears, and didn't notice.
I first noticed how loud he was getting a couple of stops down the line. He seemed to be rather upset with the driver, and even I had to acknowledge that something was up. Anyone who can penetrate LP's music has serious lung power. Stinker was getting all worked up about something, and seemed to be letting it out on the driver. She seemed to be getting rather annoyed, and said something, which set Stinker off. "I asked a damn question!" he yelled, loud enough for me to hear. I couldn't ignore it any more, and looked cautiously at the pair. Stinker was sitting nearby, and I contemplated moving away, when he suddenly lost it. "I f***ing asked you a question!" he told the driver. Bad move, Stinker. Swearing on a Capital Metro bus is an offense, and a driver has full right to throw you out of the bus if you do so. That's precisely what the little woman did. The bus screeched to a halt (with no stop in sight), almost throwing me and the other guy on the bus to the floor. Stinker seemed well prepared for it, though.
"Get off," said the driver, rather evenly, I thought. My voice would have been quavering in such a situation, either through fright or rage.
"What?" said Stinker, obviously bewildered.
"Get off this bus, now," commanded the driver. I don't care how little she was, she was scary.
Stinker rose to his full height -- which was a rather intimidating 6 feet and some inches -- and refused to do so. "I asked you a damn question!" he repeated, like a broken record.
The driver reached for something -- a radio panel, I suppose, to ask for help, and Stinker finally for the idea. He got off the bus, muttering to himself (this I couldn't hear -- Chester's vocals drowned it out) and suddenly went ballistic. He hammered on the closing door, yelling, "F*** you!! I just asked a f***ing question!!" Now that, I must admit, scared me a bit. He looked mad enough to produce a knife or gun out of his (filthy) pocket, and start waving it around. Luckily, the bus moved off. I sat stiffly for the next ten minutes, relaxing only when Braker and Burnet came by.
Never a lack of entertainment on the buses of Austin!
Riding the bus to work
This is one I've been meaning to write about for quite some time...the unique experience of riding the bus to work. To begin with, I think I'm the only Dell employee that takes the bus to work, at least to the South Parmer campus (which is where I work). I live all the way in downtown Austin, so the journey is more of a voyage! It all starts with waiting for the bus at the little bus stop at the UT Law Library, the stop closest to my house. The Wait is an experience in itself. I can see all manner of interesting things while I'm waiting for the bus -- students rushing for classes (the ones who take summer classes, that is); cars whizzing by at top speed down the street; people scurrying to work; the occasional EMS truck howling down the quiet street; and, my personal favorite, little squirrels playing hide-and-seek with each other on the trees.
Today, for instance, I saw a family of squirrels, squabbling with each other for a piece of something that didn't even look edible to me! They are funny animals. After some time, they gradually started disappearing, and I wondered why. Finally, when the song on my iPod stopped, I realized the reason -- it had started raining! Chester Bennington screaming in your ear to Shut up when I'm talking to you! tends to drown out the pitter-patter of rain. By the time the last bushy tail disappeared into the undergrowth, the 174 came trundling around the corner, and I waved about an arm to flag it down.
Flagging the bus is quite an experience. You have to hop onto the road, wave your arms around like you're part of a dance troupe, all the while nimbly keeping out of the way of other vehicles. When you see the bus' brake lights flash, you hop back equally nimbly to the pavement before the gigantic vehicle can run you over. Quite a bit of activity! (Note to fitness freaks: catching the bus is good workout activity)
Finally, I got into the bus, nodded my usual good morning to the driver. I have no idea whether he said anything.....Chester Bennington was back to his usual activity -- screaming in my ears, this time to tell me that he wouldn't be ignored. Fine, Chester. With you screaming like that, there's no way I can really ignore you -- unless I'm coding or drawing. All the same, I like Linkin Park a lot. At least Chester screams tunefully.
Then began the ride through the I-35. Normally I like it a lot, because the bus moves without any hindrances; but today, the driver decided to take all the feeder roads instead of taking the highway, so we stopped and started more times than I can count. I had given up all hopes of reaching my stop on time, but the driver maneuvered beautifully through the traffic, getting the bus to the North Lamar Transit Center at 7:00 am -- right on time. Anyone who can handle the beast that the bus is so well has my respect.
NLTC is where the seething mass of humanity enters the bus. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. Not seething, maybe. But mass of humanity, certainly. The near-empty bus goes to near-full in a matter of minutes. Today was no different, but my interest was piqued by the Seeing-Eye dog that settled down near me. He was pushed under the seat, and lay there, looking out at me, and whoever else passed in the vicinity with soulful eyes. The bus, meanwhile, continued on the US 183, finally hitting Burnet. It continued down Burnet, all the way to Braker, which is where I get off. Braker and Burnet. Sounds almost like a law firm or something, but for me, it's time to change buses.
I got off with alacrity, for the next bus, the 392 that takes me to East Parmer, was just 6 minutes away. I walked up to the crossroads, and waited for the pedestrian signal to turn green. Next to me, a boy came to a screeching halt on his bicycle, dressed all in black like a goth follower, and smoking a cigarette. This intrigued me -- he managed to keep his balance on the rickety old bike, while smoking, and looking cool (or trying to), all at the same time.
The bus stop for the 392 is a little distance away -- a half-mile, perhaps? Not a lot, but a goodish walk. I kept glancing over my shoulder to ensure that the bus wasn't on the way. When I finally reached the stop, the bus still hadn't arrived, so I was glad -- I got some time to take a breather.
The 392 arrives at Braker and Burnet at 7:18 am, and today was no different. It was right on time, and the driver, a man I've come to know quite well by now, smiled a good morning, dreadlocks swinging. He knows by now it's no use actually talking to me -- I just yank the headphones out of my ear, and go "huh?" like a dimwit. I took my usual place, and watched the streets go by.
The 392 takes a long, circuitous route to East Parmer. It goes all the way down Braker, crossing the streets of Kramer, Lamar, Parkfield, Metric, and then the I-35. It finally turns down Dessau Road (I've often found myself wondering about the origins of the quaint names), then Shropshire Blvd, then Thompkins Drive, then Yager Lane, and finally down Tech Ridge Blvd, where I finally get off.
I did so today. The ride, in itself, was rather boring today. It is often livened up by strange people entering the bus, but today's passengers were all the same, including the freaky guy with hair longer than mine, dressed all in black with black nail polish on his stubby nails, and John Lennon glasses. It didn't even rain on the way, and I reached office safe and sound -- and dry! And that summed up a typical day's ride in the bus to the office.
Today, for instance, I saw a family of squirrels, squabbling with each other for a piece of something that didn't even look edible to me! They are funny animals. After some time, they gradually started disappearing, and I wondered why. Finally, when the song on my iPod stopped, I realized the reason -- it had started raining! Chester Bennington screaming in your ear to Shut up when I'm talking to you! tends to drown out the pitter-patter of rain. By the time the last bushy tail disappeared into the undergrowth, the 174 came trundling around the corner, and I waved about an arm to flag it down.
Flagging the bus is quite an experience. You have to hop onto the road, wave your arms around like you're part of a dance troupe, all the while nimbly keeping out of the way of other vehicles. When you see the bus' brake lights flash, you hop back equally nimbly to the pavement before the gigantic vehicle can run you over. Quite a bit of activity! (Note to fitness freaks: catching the bus is good workout activity)
Finally, I got into the bus, nodded my usual good morning to the driver. I have no idea whether he said anything.....Chester Bennington was back to his usual activity -- screaming in my ears, this time to tell me that he wouldn't be ignored. Fine, Chester. With you screaming like that, there's no way I can really ignore you -- unless I'm coding or drawing. All the same, I like Linkin Park a lot. At least Chester screams tunefully.
Then began the ride through the I-35. Normally I like it a lot, because the bus moves without any hindrances; but today, the driver decided to take all the feeder roads instead of taking the highway, so we stopped and started more times than I can count. I had given up all hopes of reaching my stop on time, but the driver maneuvered beautifully through the traffic, getting the bus to the North Lamar Transit Center at 7:00 am -- right on time. Anyone who can handle the beast that the bus is so well has my respect.
NLTC is where the seething mass of humanity enters the bus. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. Not seething, maybe. But mass of humanity, certainly. The near-empty bus goes to near-full in a matter of minutes. Today was no different, but my interest was piqued by the Seeing-Eye dog that settled down near me. He was pushed under the seat, and lay there, looking out at me, and whoever else passed in the vicinity with soulful eyes. The bus, meanwhile, continued on the US 183, finally hitting Burnet. It continued down Burnet, all the way to Braker, which is where I get off. Braker and Burnet. Sounds almost like a law firm or something, but for me, it's time to change buses.
I got off with alacrity, for the next bus, the 392 that takes me to East Parmer, was just 6 minutes away. I walked up to the crossroads, and waited for the pedestrian signal to turn green. Next to me, a boy came to a screeching halt on his bicycle, dressed all in black like a goth follower, and smoking a cigarette. This intrigued me -- he managed to keep his balance on the rickety old bike, while smoking, and looking cool (or trying to), all at the same time.
The bus stop for the 392 is a little distance away -- a half-mile, perhaps? Not a lot, but a goodish walk. I kept glancing over my shoulder to ensure that the bus wasn't on the way. When I finally reached the stop, the bus still hadn't arrived, so I was glad -- I got some time to take a breather.
The 392 arrives at Braker and Burnet at 7:18 am, and today was no different. It was right on time, and the driver, a man I've come to know quite well by now, smiled a good morning, dreadlocks swinging. He knows by now it's no use actually talking to me -- I just yank the headphones out of my ear, and go "huh?" like a dimwit. I took my usual place, and watched the streets go by.
The 392 takes a long, circuitous route to East Parmer. It goes all the way down Braker, crossing the streets of Kramer, Lamar, Parkfield, Metric, and then the I-35. It finally turns down Dessau Road (I've often found myself wondering about the origins of the quaint names), then Shropshire Blvd, then Thompkins Drive, then Yager Lane, and finally down Tech Ridge Blvd, where I finally get off.
I did so today. The ride, in itself, was rather boring today. It is often livened up by strange people entering the bus, but today's passengers were all the same, including the freaky guy with hair longer than mine, dressed all in black with black nail polish on his stubby nails, and John Lennon glasses. It didn't even rain on the way, and I reached office safe and sound -- and dry! And that summed up a typical day's ride in the bus to the office.
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