A few conversations from the front of the bus that have stayed with me –
Skater Dad
A young guy sitting across from me with a skateboard propped up next to him. Shaved head, some neck tattoos going a bit onto his face. He remarked on my crossword puzzle, said he just couldn’t wrap his head around them, and we got to chatting. He was kind of trying to tell me all his wisest thoughts, like, he isn’t crossword puzzle smart, but he has lived on the street and learned to survive, and it had this freedom to it but it was also really bad and now he works hard to keep housed and stable to support his two young kids. He wanted to know if I had been to college (yes) and if I thought it was worth it (I said that it depends but City College is free and start slow with one class that is something you really like.)
I wish I could remember exactly how he worded all of this but it’s been a couple of weeks and I can’t. His earnestness and his face stay with me though.
One of the good ones
Late at night, cold and a bit drizzly, after a fancy work dinner where we drank rather a lot of sake. The bus driver was smoking in the street around the other side of the bus on his break, then came to let us on when he noticed us waiting. “XXth Street, right? I know you!” “Oh yeah you do know me! That’s my stop!” “You’re a nice one!” (to my partner) “Not like those wheelchairs who go into the walgreens, steal everything, get on my bus, get off at 16th st and everyone comes to them to buy it”
Okaaaaaaay man.
Twins
Two adorable toddlers, twins, in matching pink and blue outfits with little monster hats with double pom poms, and both very content with lollipops, in a double wide stroller their very tired looking mom, standing up, who had trouble managing on the crowded bus. I put on my light up antennae headband (on my way to xmas party) to make them laugh.
Shouting gardener
The lady next to her was also standing and with a large push cart strapped with boxes and bungees, talking to herself and occasionally loud yelling in Spanish about how Trump was a chicken and all the white house was evil, evil chickens and they should think more about Jesus. As the bus got more crowded she got agitated and finally started yelling at the top of her lungs at some young people who were sitting in the 2nd row back of disabled/elderly seats. She really gave them a reaming out. They were like middle school boys who just weren’t looking up from their phones and they got up pronto as soon as they noticed.
At first, it was funny and kind of endearing and many people were nodding and smirking a little. But then she escalated and would not stop yelling. The little twins in their stroller were disturbed, their mom was getting it right in the ear at one million decibels, and the rest of the bus was like, OK enough already.
I figured I may as well throw myself on the bomb, so I tapped her arm and asked about a book she had sticking out of her cart kind of under a big box of vegetables. “beautiful flowers, do you like gardening?” I was not sure if this would make her yell at me, but figured gardens and beautiful flowers are a soothing topic. It worked pretty well ! She got the book out (California Native Plant Gardening) and gave it to me. We then talked about gardens. She does love gardens but doesn’t have one now. She sends money to her niece who has now bought a plot of land and is building a house (in Nicaragua) and has planted avocado, lemon, and mango trees. We then discussed farmers markets and free food pantry vegetables (half her cart). She has been out of work for a few months and is very grateful for the free pantries.
This topic lasted us for a long while and then I commented how cute the twins were as they got off the bus. “I love babies, I love children, I love to see them by my house, coming from the ballet, the little girls in their dresses.” I have also seen them recently coming out of the Nutcracker ballet and they are adorable running around the City Hall xmas trees doing family photos. Shouting Gardener lady turns out to love the opera, and then started yelling just a bit louder about how much she loves Bocelli. (Not sure why that made her agitated but it did.) She then said that she hoped I would come to her home and have dinner some day.
(Oh yikes no)
I got off the bus and guiltily fled, as the light was about to change and she was having trouble getting her shopping cart off the bus. I was late to my OTHER work party, and I felt so emotionally buffeted that escape looked good. Undoubtedly i will see her again on the same bus.
No one clapped but I felt I had done a good deed to spare people the out of control shouting and had also been friendly to a kind of messed up lady.
Another one of the good ones
Last night coming home from another party the man across from me did not even wait for me to settle in.
Guy: “You know what these wheelchairs, there are so many.”
Me: ??? (internal sigh)
Guy: You know there are so many wheelchairs on the bus these days
Me: I’m not sure what you mean.
Guy: Why there are so many wheelchairs who get on the bus now!!!
Me: It’s great that we have accessible transit.
Guy: You know why!?! They just get on and they don’t pay. Hahahah! They don’t pay! At least YOU tap to pay!!! :: eyebrow waggle ::
Me: The bus is free for many low income wheelchair users. I pay a discounted fare but if you don’t have any money, it’s free so maybe they don’t bother to tap. I tap even if the driver waves me on for free because I want MUNI to record how many people are riding.
Way overexplaining to some guy who may not have understood and who was a little bit “off” but it is my way to cope sometimes.
I enjoy my random encounters on the bus, mostly!