#4153

A moderately interesting bus day. Started as I crossed Guadalupe and the dual motorcycle guys came by and beeped (honked? again with the description - must find the proper verbiage here...). Never thought there would be regular, identifiable traffic going to and from the bus stop. I know others have a schedule, just like me, but two motorcycle riders? Not bad, eh?

ASU is on spring break this week, so didn't expect a lot of riders - had the bus to myself until Hermosa, just past the 60, when a guy got on and when I looked up as he passed, I realized it was the guy from sports/great photograph discussion day. I knew he had a familiar look that day, but didn't expect to see him again so soon - a potential regular developing here? He went straight to the back (newspaper guy's seat) and last time he sat in the front. No patterns yet, so we'll have to see what time brings.

At Broadway, a guy came to the bus door and asked the driver if she could get him to the red line to the airport - I didn't hear her answer, but it must have been affirmative as he got on the bus. My drop off stop is a red line connector, so I knew he was OK. He seemed very agitated, almost sick. He had a slight cough and didn't sit completely on the seat. He didn't have any luggage, just a backpack. He did not look like an airplane traveler - more like a hitchhiker. Could be a very interesting story there. Just before my stop, the lady bus voice announced the stop and said "transfers to Rte 65 and Red Line." The bus was stopped, I was up to go out the door and the guy stood up, blocked my way and asked the driver if this was where he got the Red Line. She wouldn't answer him and I don't know why. She just sat there and he asked again - I said yes, then pushed past him to go out the door. Not sure if he believed me as it took a while for the bus to travel on. Unusual dynamics in that exchange and I can't figure out why. Oh well, makes for something to write about in the bus blog. Picture today is a composite of motorcycle day, photograph day and good old route 66.

#4122

Ah yes, I remembered again today. Perhaps the gray matter is beginning to focus. Hope so. Rode this one yesterday and was on it going home lsst night, too. While standing at the stop, a man on a bicycle rode up (more accurately he wove slowly up ...), stopped and asked if "one was coming soon?" I said, "I hope so" and he then asked me what was the next street. Assuming he meant major street, I told him Rural. He then asked if there was a restaurant there. I told him a Jack-in-the-Box and Burger King were on the corner. He said "Burger King?" with a question then got on the bike and rode ever so slowly toward Rural. I believe he ended up waiting at the next stop, got on the bus and then got off at Rural. He could have ridden there in the time he waited, but he was pretty slow on the bike and not very steady. Unusual ...

Bus ride started out as usual - greetings from newspaper guy and bicycle guy and soon we had a lovely complement of regulars and semi-regulars. Dave was regaling with Itulie stories - sure would like to visit that class and see him in action - sounds like a movie character and I bet he plays it that way. As Dave was talking, a man who I've seen before but not often enough to qualify for even semi-regularship, commented about Itulie's behavior and language. Dave said Itulie used to have a rubber stamp that said "garbage" and would put it on papers he deemed appropriate for refuse collection. Apparently Itulie stopped using it after receiving complaints from student's parents. The front seat guy said he would never get away with that or the language that Itulie uses. The guy implied he was an instructor but didn't elaborate and neither Dave nor I questioned him about who/what he taught. He wasn't expressing disbelief at what Dave was saying, just didn't think he could use the same tactics in his classroom. Wish I'd asked what he taught - he had a literature quality, but could be history or physical science - who knows? Maybe he'll be on the bus again and we can discover his role at ASU. He got off at Gammage Parkway and Mill and when we turned down Forest Mall, he went straight, past Student Services. For today I made a graphic of our discussion.

#4122

Good, huh? Got the number today. I'm trying to be observant and get the gray cells out of the clouds. Some days it sure is rough.

Today started off with horn honks (beeps?) from a pair of motorcyclists driving west on Guadalupe. I still have a problem describing the noise -- does a motorcycle honk? geese honk and there were two of the bikes, like two geese, I guess. Beep? That seems too benign when considering the deep rumble of the bike engines. Blast? Nah, that would be an air horn on a semi - way too much. I don't know -- there has to be an apt description -- I'll work on it.

Bus ride was super normal. Newspaper guy was in place, regular driver at the wheel. Bicycle guy got on, full of greeting. It was business as usual. More regulars got on and some irregulars and there was chatting and general early morning bus activity. I feel better when we get a good number of riders and the mild ear clutter of small conversations. Almost like you could put it in your pocket and keep it for awhile.

The picture of the day is a Harley-Davidson bike, in memory of the way the transportation day began. Don't know if the bikes on Guadalupe were Harleys, but figure I'd do them the honor of declaring them so. Even a Honda Goldwing would be proud to be exalted to Harley status.

#4123 (I think....)

Geez, I looked and then got caught up in the ride events and now the number is located in a gray matter fogspot. Need to note these details - guess I'm a failure as a reporter, but hey, I'm not in the Cronkite school, so who cares?

Ride started out per usual - newspaper guy back in place with a hearty, "Good morning, guys" as Dave and I boarded the bus. Bicycle guy got on and soon he and newspaper guy were chatting up a storm. People (or should I say, men - where have all the women gone?) continued to fill the bus and Dave was telling about a Sports Illustrated film he watched in his photojournalism class. He described how close the early sports photographers could get to baseball players during the game and used the proximity of himself and another passenger as an example. Next thing you know, that passenger was talking with us about famous photographs. He was spot on with the discussion and Dave affirmed the man's accuracy. He was just a regular guy - nothing to set him apart, and yet he turned out to be a perfect person to join the conversation on famous photographs. Ever the curious one, wish I knew his history, but will accept the karma that he was properly placed at the proper time. Bet we don't see him again on the morning bus, either. Seemed like a one time thing, but very well timed. In honor of the photographic discussion, the picture of the day is the Canon EOS D20 - the digital camera of choice for discriminating photophiles.

#4153

Bingo! Remembered to look at the number and, gloriosky Bert, what a bus day this turned out to be ... Newspaper guy wasn't there so Dave and I were first on the bus. Regular driver's day off, but the usual lady sub was at the helm. At Rural and Guadalupe two guys got on who actually made me nervous. Not sure what it was, but something seemed odd. They went to the back and when bicycle guy got on, he didn't go up in the back with them. Guess I wasn't the only one who thought there was something amiss. One of the semi-regular guys got on and sat next to me, also avoiding the back. Then, engineering guy arrived!!! He sat across from me, next to Dave. Dave and I were enjoying a bloody discussion of razor wire and its application; however, once engineering guy entered, he had to talk to bicycle guy and that precluded other conversation. He spoke of an impending mid-term exam and mentioned continuum mechanics and vector calculus - music to my ears!

There was a small spell of silence when the only other woman on the bus, sitting in the front, got on her cell phone and had a conversation with her bank in tones loud enough to be heard by everyone. She said she wanted to get the balance of her chacking account and then gave the account number. She gave her name and then some other info that was undoubtedly vetting words/numbers. She must have gotten bad news as she then said she had a line of credit and needed to access it. Didn't hear any amount of money mentioned, so assume she was saying to cover any incoming checks with the line of credit. She said thank you, and hung up. It was way too personal a conversation to have on the bus. It's not like there was lots of chatter and she figured no one would hear. It really was the opposite, especially at the time she placed the call. Just can't imagine conversing about such a personal matter in such a public place. Maybe I'm too cautious? I think not.

We got off the bus, Dave, engineering guy, ASU guy and me and nothing had happened with the two dark strangers who kept the back to themselves. Must have been my imagination. It just gets better, though. Dave, engineering guy and I walked east on Gammange Parkway and had a three-way conversation about the perils of pedestrianism on campus. Cart driver Dave was giving rules and engineering guy waxed on about tax dollars. Dave asked engineering guy why he hadn't been at the Jack-in-the-Box lately and I nearly fell over. Engineering guy had a lengthy explanation which I really didn't hear as I was sucking oxygen to think that Dave and engineering guy saw each other outside the bus arena. We turned on Forest Mall and engineering guy went straight and I immediately asked Dave how he knew engineering guy. Dave said he has two hours between classes on Tuesday evenings and goes to JIB for the dollar burger. He said EG is often there. I told him it was great for the blog and, in honor of this newly discovered relationship, I photographed Moss Man in front of the radio circuit board (very EG, I think). As you can tell from the length of this blog post, this was a great bus day!

#4135 or 53 (whatever)

I really did look at the number today, but can't remember which way the 3 and 5 went - I know it was 35 or 53, just don't want to commit. It was an average bus day - back was full of regulars and the front had a couple of newbies. Women seem to be a scarcity on the bus - I'm regular, but others come and go and the passengership is mostly made up of men. I always used to think of the bus as a woman's domain - maybe Rosa Parks brought that on - but the morning ride is definitely a male populace.

Dave finally figured out his blog should be about his cart driving experiences and not about the blues. He had to declare the subject of his blog very early in the semester and he hadn't been driving carts very long, if at all. I told him the cart job would be great fodder for a blog, but he's so enamored of the blues, he felt he had to make that his centerpiece. I remember asking him if there was enough blues info to write about daily and he thought about that, but still went with the blues. Oh well ... he said he wished he was writing about the cart driving job since it is good for at least one story a day. Today's picture is, of course, a cart in honor of the blog that should have been.

#41uh oh ....

Crikey, again forgot to look for the number. It was an odd starting bus ride, so my timing was way off. Newspaper guy was on the bus as usual and he greeted both me and Dave when we got on - a full scale, "Hi guys". It was a first and he's the most regular of the regulars since I've been doing the 66. Then a bit later, when bicycle guy got on, he said hello and even asked Dave how his shoot went. I guess they must have ridden home together as I never heard Dave talk to him about photography. Dave will talk to anyone or anything at any time about his photojournalism work - he's very excited to be a student and loves what he's learning. Guess I should thank Dave - his verbosity about his school endeavors extends to the world and seems to result in bus greetings.

After the thrill of the greetings (we're almost a clan, now), it settled down to an almost normal ride. Two semi regular guys got on and ended up in back with newspaper and bicycle guys - the chatter was exhilirating. I like a talkative bus - feels alive. There's actually a stress to a silent ride. As if people aren't awake or they're deeply contemplative. Talking is energy. Think I'll make an attractive 66 logo for the beginning of the clan.

#4135

Just another day on the bus - newspaper guy and bicycle guy were back in place and we've developed a new student rider. Didn't want to give him regular status until we had a few weeks under our belt. He always wears an ASU hooded sweatshirt and has his iPod firmly installed. He gets off where I do, at the corner of Mill and Gammage Parkway, so his regularity is easily observed. Gosh I love regularity and it has nothing to do with my alimentary canal. Got a new digital camera and am just learning to mess with it. I am posting pictures on flickr and will upload to this blog when it seems appropriate. Yesterday I didn't ride the bus, but work arrival was eventful (and photographed) and duly noted in this blog.

forgot my key

didn't take the bus yesterday morning - needed to bring fruit salad for a breakfast potluck and couldn't envision me and the large container of FS on the bus. had disaster potential written all over it. anyway, in the rush to leave, forgot to grab my key bracelet and had to wait for someone with a master key to come and open my door. had my camera, so thought I'd try different settings while shooting my feet. it kind of makes you want to sit down and snooze a bit, eh?

#Unknown

Forgot to look today - had a long weekend and it was difficult to get organized this AM. Dave was talking about his police ride along on the Indian reservation and it distracted me from bus details. Oh well, can't be extra sharp all the time. A good number of riders today, but not many were regular. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure I was the only female on the bus except for the driver. An all-male cast of characters - women are usually in the minority on the morning bus, but can't remember that I've ever been the only woman. Cause celebre? I think not.

Could have used a bus yesterday. Coming back from Sedona and a very bad accident on I-17 blocked the highway from New River for over 40 miles. Anne and I decided instead of sitting in the car for 3+ hours we would backtrack and go home via Prescott. It took us just over 4 hours to go back and then do the winding, switchbacks in the mountains through Prescott and down onto the valley. It was very scenic, although I would rather do it under more desirable circumstances. The accident involved a van, meant to carry 9 people that was carrying 13 and it blew a tire, flipped over and slid. The fatality was a 23-month-old who was not restrained, just sitting on his mother's lap. A miracle others weren't killed. A hard lesson, that one. No picture today.

#4154

Another bland day on the bus - newspaper guy was back in place, bicycle guy and a couple of other semi regulars. There was a new man who got off at ASU - he was noticeable mostly because he wore all cream colored clothing - nicely dressed with a jacket and slacks and a shirt. He carried a small shopping bag - almost boutique-like. He walked ahead of me and lit a cigarette as soon as he got off the bus. Amazing how that smoke lingers in the air - yuch. He was neatly put together but had a very extreme pot belly - looked like a pregnant woman. I'm thinking he likes his alcohol - it really looked like the swollen belly of a drinker, especially since the rest of him was quite trim. The way he dove for that cigarette, too. There was a desparation quality and I know how smokers want their cigarettes, but he had it poised to light the minute he stepped off the bus. A little too frantic. Boy, where do I get off making all these assumptions? Just being observant and applying my knowledge and some deductive reasoning.

Dave used the term "bigwig" today - he uses it often, actually. There's a note of derision when he says it so I must assume he has authority issues. I wondered about the origins of "bigwig", figuring it had to come from England and the wigs. Googled it and found a site called "The Phrase Finder" - sure enough, "bigwig" is a slang word for important person and originates from the English courts where wigs are worn. All my reading pays off again.

#4154

Kudos to me - I remembered to look for the bus number and then for added insurance, I noted it in my new little Moleskine cahier notebook - bound and determined to sketch and log ideas. After all, it is what creative people do and I am a creative person. Picture of a cahier included for the curious.

Today's ride was typical for this semester with the exception of newspaper guy. I got on the bus and there was a man sitting in the very back seat reading a paper, but it wasn't our regular newspaper guy. Did he send a replacement? Was this reader a substitute for regular newspaper guy? Is it possible to serve as a second for another when riding the bus? These are meaty questions to be pondered and, possibly, discussed. There wasn't much else of interest today - the woman who asked me for a tissue yesterday was back on the bus today and armed with a pocketful of her own tissues. I had extras, just in case, but she was well equipped.

Pretty boring, but c'est la vie.

#4144

Got the number today, but I was inspired by the activity on the bus. No one yesterday, eh? Today we had people and oddness - gloriosky, Bert, do the happy dance! To begin, it was our new regular driver, but he'd buzzed his hair - wonder what's in the air since Dave just shaved his beard? I'm not shaving anything.

The newspaper guy was on the bus but not in his usual spot. As I walked to my usual seat I saw what had displaced him. A young woman was curled up on the back seat, covered by a blanket, appearing to be sound asleep. She was right smack in the place where newspaper guy usually sits, so what was he to do? Bicycle guy got on a bit later and everyone was exchanging glances, curious about the sleeper. Eventually she got up and got off at Southern. She pulled a hood over her head and her "blanket" looked like a sleeping bag without an outer cover. She certainly had all the makings of a good "street people" story - added a new dimension to good old route 66. My picture today is for our sleeper.

At Rural and Guadalupe, a woman bounded on the bus, sat catty-cornered across from me and immediately asked me if I had any extra tissues - fortunately I had a couple of spare in my jacket pocket; I certainly don't mind sharing my Kleenex, it just felt odd as she very specifically asked me for tissue when there was another woman sitting directly across from her. Wonder why she zoned in on me? Does white hair mean I have supplies? I always assume it's the hair, but that's what makes me different from everyone else on the bus. At least I think that's the obvious difference. Anyway, it was a bus oddity.

We had lots of riders today and it just felt better. A bus should have riders - as my favorite quote goes, "It's good to have an end to journey toward, but it's the journey that matters in the end." A bus journey needs riders.

#I have no idea ...

Blew it again, forgot to look at the number. Today was the all time low in ridership. Dave and I got on at our stop and absolutely no one else got on the bus before we got off at ASU. Six months I've been riding the #66 route faithfully at 6am almost every day and never has it happened that no one boarded the bus while I was on it. Of course, it's the federal President's Day holiday and everything, except ASU, is closed, so that accounts for some of the lack of ridership. However, ASU is in, classes are going on and not every business is closed. I can't believe everyone who usually rides the bus has a holiday - but, who knows? Apparently a lot of people are off today. The image today represents the void on route 66. The only story of note is that Dave shaved off his beard. Looks better.

#41whatever ... again

It's not like it was a fascinating day on the bus - guess I've lost my edge, but I just keep forgetting to look at the number. I really think it was 4123 - I remember thinking the 23 was a reverse of 32 and 4132 is one of my first numbers. Sheesh! Skeleton crew riding today - newspaper guy, lady with the big coffee cup, bicycle guy, regular guy, regular lady. I think two non-regulars got on at Broadway and that was that. Never thought the numbers would drop like they have.

To fill the void when this bus blog gets boring, I must use personal stories heard on the bus. Dave told me about a conversation his son Lyn had with Dave's father, Bob. I guess Bob is snug with his words but, when he does speak, it can be hilarious. Lyn asked his grandfather if he had any health problems that Lyn should be concerned about inheriting. Bob said, "I drip." When Lyn asked him what he meant, he said his nose and eyes leaked, he drooled, etc., etc., etc. It's hilarious, but true. The older we get, the more liquids find their way outside our bodies - don't even want to discuss all the possibilities. Suffice to say, we laughed about it all the way onto campus. In honor of the discussion, I found an appropriate picture on the web. Wish I had a word blog - do you know how many ways the word "drip" can be used? Give it a Google Images search and see.

#4132

Not sure and don't feel like checking the archives, but I believe #4132 is the first bus ride posted on this blog. If not #1, it was in the first couple of posts. Should review and see how active that ride was since today was as quiet as it gets. Dave wasn't there and the driver asked again about my "sidekick"'s whereabouts. How quickly we create associations. The newspaper guy was on the bus and then, oddly, everyone else who got on was also regular or semi-regular. There were only six total by the time I got off, but everyone was a rider with a noticeable amount of repeat riding. Nice to see the stability, but wonder why the numbers are down? Back to wondering.

Last night's ride home was almost violent - physically violent, that is. The driver used his horn numerous times and behaved with a great deal of road rage-like activity. I don't know if there was a problem with the brakes, but he kept hitting them - hard. Lateral whiplash for those of us riding in the side-facing seats. There was a ton of traffic - unusually heavy for 6-6:30pm and that made the ride crawl. The weird thing was how bumpy the ride was for a pace that hardly ever got over 20mph. The driver did all he could to slam us around considering we never got anywhere near 45mph. Since it was taking so long, I decided to doodle and it was hilarious with all the bumps, hits and grinds trying to keep the pen on the paper. The picture attached to this post is a scan of my bus doodles. It's my attempt at visual thinking ala Communication Nation.

#41whatever

Geez, am I getting too lazy to look at the bus number? I think I looked but it just didn't register. I know it was a 4100 - they are unmistakable. Well, the excitement of yesterday was tempered today with a return to a less than full complement of regulars. Newspaper guy was there, but no bicycyle guy or semi regular guy. We did have the return of one woman who has been missing for awhile. She is Hispanic and she and another Hispanic woman always get on at the same place. I ended up between them and it was interesting as they talked freely across me in fast and furious Spanish. I sure wish I knew some of the language so I could get the flavor of their conversation. I always said I would take Spanish after I graduated -appears the time has come. I'd rather take art classes, but Spanish seems like a good idea, especially living in Arizona. Boring ride, eh?

#4136

Well, be careful what you wish for ... yesterday I longed for the regulars and today - voila! Even the engineering guy was there - he actually was on the bus before I got on - that was a new procedure. He was already bending newspaper guy's ear about something non-engineering - sounded like he was defending gays, lesbians, etc., via email at the community college, but since I only heard the middle of the conversation, I hate to speculate. Later, after bicycle guy got on, engineering guy discussed his classes this semester - flow mechanics, data analysis - and it was music to my ears. Sounded just like old times. In honor of engineering guy's return, I created and included a little image. It's physics, but gets the job done. The man I said was a semi regular was back - he doesn't do anything that gives him an obvious identifier. He's just a man - I guess I'll refer to him as semi regular guy until something else clicks. There was even a young man back riding who gets off at ASU - he used to wear a uniform - similar to what the Fine Host servers wear - he didn't have that on today, so wonder if he changed jobs. Be curious if he returns. One of the regular women was back, too. Gloriosky it was a regular kind of day.

Dave said he left his folder on the bus yesterday afternoon. By the time he realized it was gone, the bus company's lost and found was closed. Wonder if he'll get it back? Probably nothing that someone wants to keep, but you never know. I bet their lost and found is quite interesting. The other day, a silver thing came sliding down the aisle as the driver gave my bus an extra quick stop. I got a foot on it, picked it up and it was a lip balm from Victoria's Secret. There had been quite a few high school girls on the bus earlier, so probably belonged to one of them. Bet she reached into her bag for it later and was disgruntled to find it missing. It was one of those small things that you just never know where you left it. Interesting how we collect things and carry our stash with us and then arbitrarily leave them around like a trail of bread crumbs. I went through a spell of leaving my purse behind - not cool. I seem to have broken that bad habit, but who knows when it might surface again. Good luck with the folder, Dave.

A post from last Thursday evening ...

Don't usually go back for stories, but last Thursday's ride home had some facets that must be documented. It was the 4 PM bus and at the stop in front of Fry's, at Southern, an extremely large woman got on the bus. She easily topped 300 lbs - she was big. She had a walker, and I wondered if her weight made her need the walker or if a condition requiring the walker had helped push up her weight ... a chicken/egg first situation. The driver made two boys get up so the woman could sit down - she filled the front seat.

As we drove along, another woman across the aisle called over to the heavy woman and asked if she was going to work. The heavy lady said no, she was going home, but she was taking the southbound bus and going to ride around the loop because she couldn't get across Southern without being hit by a car. Have I described this clearly? This woman really needed a northbound bus, but got on the southbound and was going to ride for an hour to get back to where she would have picked up the northbound bus - who knows how far north she needed to go? She was basically using an entire bus route to cross a street! I know the intersections here are huge and drivers are impatient and unfriendly, but I can't imagine she couldn't walk across the street. She made it across Fry's parking lot and into the store - that's twice the distance across the intersection ... of course, the more she doesn't do, the more she doesn't want to do and the harder it gets, etc. It was like taking I-10 from Phoenix to Los Angeles by way of Houston. Maybe she didn't have anything better to do timewise, but her health will never improve as long as she'd rather sit for an hour than walk for 5-10 minutes. I'm sure the walk isn't easy for her, but oh my goodness.

Later in the same ride, we stopped at Guadalupe and Rural. A lady in a wheelchair wanted to know if the bus went to McClintock and Baseline before she got loaded on the bus. The driver said yes and they began the loading procedure. I was pretty sure the bus didn't go there, but since I haven't ridden the route to its farthest reaches, I hesitated to jump in the conversation. The driver got her all strapped in and then said, "Wait a minute, McClintock and Baseline? No, I don't go there." (Duh????) He said he could take her to McClintock and she could transfer to the 81 and get to Baseline. She was affable and said that would work and the driver went up to let the other people who were waiting get on the bus.

There were three of them, a man in his 40s, a woman in her 40s and a young boy. They had waited the whole time while the driver was getting the wheelchair lady into the bus and strapped and no sooner were they on and the bus moving when the man pulled the cord. He and the woman got off at the next stop! They went separate directions, so weren't together and I'm pretty sure they weren't getting off because they'd made a mistake. In the time they'd waited for the bus to go, they could have walked to where they got off - neither appeared physically disabled - what part of this am I not getting? Those stops aren't even a quarter of a mile apart and it's not August! I know the man used a transfer slip when he got on which meant he'd been dropped off by another bus (probably one on Rural) and then waited, gawdknowshowlong, for the 66 to come and take him less than a quarter of a mile. Where's the logic? I just don't get it. Had to write about these things - simply amazing.

#4153

I'm really not checking repeater buses any more, so why am I still naming posts after the bus of the day? I'll have to think about this and respond to myself later. Today's ride was boring, but a bit of the charm from last semester surfaced for a moment. The newspaper guy was on and the bicycle guy got on at his usual stop. A little later, a semi regular fellow - can't think of an identifier for him yet - got on and the three of them were talking about the Olympics. It was nice to hear the sports talk in the background - took me back to early football season. The only character missing is the engineering student who could completely alter the tenor of the conversation with his overzealous use of inappropriate engineering terms. He was an annoyance and yet very entertaining. Most of all, he was regular - gosh how I miss the regulars.

Dave took the 66 from Scottsdale some time over the weekend and was telling of the driver who talked the whole way from 68th & Thomas to the stop at Juniper and Guadalupe. Dave said the driver announced every single stop and gave background and historical information on various buildings on the route. Said he wore gloves and used hand gestures to welcome people onto the bus and point out places and things. Dave said it would make a great blog story, so I might spend a Saturday riding the 66 and hope I get this driver.

#4135

Might be time to give up the number naming system - doesn't matter since I'm not checking for repeats. Then again, I might get seriously bored one day and go back through and create a chart. OK, solved that dilemma.

Another really dud day on the bus. There are, however, a series of regulars developing. They just aren't as interesting as earlier in the year. The hardhat guy was on again, this time wearing the orange dayglo vest of a road crew person. He had a really big Stanley tape measure on his belt - have to think about it - a carpenter's tape measure wearing a road crew vest - just not getting the big picture. Oh well, he's a regular for now and that makes me happy.

Dave performed a Tony Manero dance simulation as the bus pulled up to the stop. The driver, who seems to be our regular, said, "No dancing at the bus stop" as we got on. He was smiling and appears to have a sense of humor. I miss the little counterfeit printer, but this driver has potential.

Sarah just called and said there was a carjacking that ended in a shooting in the parking lot at UAT so she didn't have to go to work today. What's up with this world? I crave a bit of interest on the bus, but who needs carjackings and shootouts? After watching "Super Size Me," I wonder if fast food isn't killing us in multiple ways? Too deep for a bus blog.

#4145

First post this week - rode the bus on Monday, but got so involved with work I never got back to posting. Yesterday I overslept (by four hours!!!) and hitched a ride in with Jim. Allergy season has arrived and I'm in the adjustment phase - waiting for antihistamine med to reach maintenance levels - until then, my body really isn't my own. I know this is a bus blog, but feel compelled to explain a 4-hour oversleep. I never do that, never. I'm still amazed.

Today's ride was boring, boring, boring. No one gets on the bus any more. If I didn't like getting in early, I'd take a different bus just to see if something is happening later (or earlier, I suppose). I like the time and don't want to change, but egad is it boring. A total of six people were on the bus when we got off at ASU. The backseat newspaper guy was there (he's a real regular from fall semester) and there's a guy with a yellow hard hat who has been a recent regular. Since he's doing the hard hat thing, I'm going to guess his regularity will depend on where he's working. Once the current job is done, he'll disappear from our route. Maybe I should consider the 81 in the morning. It's a bigger market route, but not as convenient to get to the stop. Oh, these decisions are giving me a headache ... or is that allergy? Whatever.

#4153

Wow, what a great blog day this will be. Hardly know where to begin. First, the bus, another 4100, yada, yada, yada. Getting to be really old news. Next, Dave didn't ride the bus today and when I got on, the driver (who appears to be the new fairly regular driver) said, "No sidekick today?" I laughed and said, "No". This driver gave us the disco palace moniker for our stop and now referred to Dave as a sidekick. It's just too much. I like this driver - hope he stays.

Next - there was some confusion yesterday about the photo of Tony Manero. Apparently some readers thought I meant to post a photo of Tony Manero from the movie and I really meant (and posted) a photo of my reflector. To clear up any misunderstandings, today's post has a defining picture of which Tony Manero is which.

Last - when I got on the bus there was one other person, a man who seemed out of place. My people radar sensed he was not a regular rider on any bus route and his sartorial statement supported that conclusion. He was maybe 51 or so and wearing a sweater, khaki slacks and running shoes and carrying a North Face back pack. It wasn't a student outfit and it wasn't a working man's outfit - it just didn't come together with distinct definition. A stop or two after Southern, another man got on and he, too, seemed unusually put together for a typical bus rider. He appeared to be about 61 or 62 and was wearing a jacket, slacks and trainers and had a ball cap, earphones and carrying a fully stuffed JanSport backpack. He seemed restless and yet eager. He got into his backpack, pulled out a bottle of lotion and applied some to his hands, his face and the back of his neck. It was then it clicked - the Phoenix Open! This guy was going to the golf tournament and he just put on his sunscreen. I'm pretty sure the other guy was probably going there, too. It completely explains their clothing and the backpacks and why they were even on the bus. I'm so proud of myself for figuring it out and proud of them for doing the bus thing to get there. Hope they have a wonderful time.

Haven't had that much to write about in weeks and weeks and weeks.

Bus #???

Once again, I forgot to note the number. Suffice to say it was a 4100 bus - wish we'd get a 6000 every now and then. The driver was the same one who declared our stop a disco palace because of my relector/flasher. In honor of this, Dave named my device, Tony Manero, as in John Travolta's character in Saturday Night Fever. It seems fitting and, in honor of this honor, I scanned and posted Tony's picture. Handsome little devil, eh?

Hard to believe it's February 1. A couple of regulars but still no more than 6-8 of us total riders. What is up with the 6am bus? Hard to believe that many people moved or had schedule changes between fall and spring semester. Worse, there have been no "characters" to enjoy. A review of the archives and I long for riders like the woman on the cart and her shouting. Moments like those add interest and momentum to the ride - lately, if it wasn't for conversation with Dave, it would be an exercise in somnambulism. Just keep hoping as the sun rises earlier, the riders will come out from wherever they're hiding.

More than just a bus blog ...

You'll notice a link to a blog post on Communication Nation - I really like this blog (and several others as well) and have decided when I read a post that seems worth the repeat, I'm going to add a link to my blog. Seems like cross linking is a good way to reach out and communicate.

Communication Nation: A simple recipe for effective communication

Communication Nation: A simple recipe for effective communication

#41??

Well, sadly, the ride has become so boring I failed to note the bus number. I had the flashing reflector on my bag, but the driver (a different one again) didn't say a word - how sad. This semester has really been a disappointment. There were regulars, but by the time I got off the bus, there were only six of us riding. The back seat newspaper guy returned today and Steve the Mechanic was back. There's a young Hispanic guy who has become a new regular - he wears a gray sweatshirt and pants that appear to be covered in paint or stucco or plaster or the like. He obviously works in the construction trade and for the time being is going to the same place at the same time every day. He doesn't seem to be someone who will enter into conversation, so I'll probably never know what the substance is that is dripped all over his clothes. It's almost a work of art, but I better not go there. We had a new guy come on in front of Marcos de Niza - bet we don't see him again. Another man got on at Southern and that was it before we got off. What a drag.

Dave spent most of the ride talking about his trials and tribulations with HTML code. He must learn it for his Online Media class, I guess, and it was quite chilling to hear him talk about color fonts and finding images that move. What are they teaching people? Oh well, whatever makes them happy. Truly, anyone can make a website; the trick is in making a good, accessible, functional website. That is another matter. In my quest to add visual interest to the blog, I created an image of a wee bit of HTML - nothing else of note was worth imaging on today's ride.

#4130

Great gloriosky, I am validated!!! Again this morning I put my little reflector on my bag and waited for the bus. When it arrived and I got on, the driver said, "It looks like a disco here." I laughed and told him I was trying to improve visibility at our dark stop. He said it was a great idea - he noticed it right away. Am I smiling hugely or what??? Yesterday Dave said with my coat and the flasher I looked like a member of the band, Devo (???). Today it's disco - from Devo Woman to Disco Momma in a scant 24 hours. The future is looking bright, Burt.

The bus was uneventful again. Of course, it's Friday and that is always a slow day - very few classes, so ASU is less busy. One regular lady came back on, but she was the only returning regular. I'm the only person who rode the 6am bus every single day this week - now that's regular.

Notes about the blog ...

Just a few comments about the blog - notice the "new look"???? Decided to begin to bring this baby up to the next level of CSS expertise. How about the bus image on the header? It's a photo of a real Valley Metro bus, but it's a 6000 class vehicle - longer than the 4100 class that are regularly used on our little low-budget route 66. If you notice, I did put 66 on the top sign - one of these days we'll move to bigger buses - I'm confident.

I'm trying to add more images to give the blog a bit more visual interest. While my written words are obviously delightful, entertaining and thoroughly capable of keeping your attention, good design dictates that I add images. Not entirely sure about the colors yet, but will let it stand for a month before dabbling.

Gosh it's fun to blog.

#4133

A bit better ridership today, although it didn't pick up until we got to the stop at Baseline. Steve the mechanic got on and then a couple more fall regulars. Still just doesn't have the character from my early rides. Maybe when the sun comes back up ...

Found the little flashing reflector and put it on my bag. (Note - the image to the left is a reasonable facsimile of my actual reflector - mine does not say "Tropicana" - it is red with a white "Centerville Police" logo. Remember, I said "reasonable facsimile" not exact duplicate.) Wearing it while it flashed made me feel like a piece of road blockage, but the driver came to a lovely stop and made no remarks about the state of darkness. Not sure if it was my device or this driver just has better night vision. A stop is a stop, so since when did the passengers have to make sure the bus stopped? Seems out of whack, to me.

#4128

A bit better on the bus today. At least more people, but still very quiet. A couple more regulars (fall) and one new (spring) regular. Wonder if some of the former regulars are riding at a later (or earlier ?!?!?) time? Students might adjust because class times change, but there are people with real jobs and those don't usually change. Here I am trying to organize the bus riders - need to just sit back and observe.

When I got on the bus, the driver (again, NOT a regular ... hmmmmmmm .....) said, "I almost didn't see you." I know it's dark and can't help but wonder what I'm supposed to do? Buy a reflective white coat to wear? I had on a long white scarf, my bag is light khaki and my hair! For gawdsakes - if my hair isn't white enough for them to see - it even glows in the light so it can't be invisible in those headlights! I can't see them and they can't see me. What are we gonna do about this? I thought about putting the flashing red reflector on my bag, but it might just look like a bicyclist in the roadway. Maybe I'll try it tomorrow and see if the next driver says anything. Not sure why I should be responsible for being seen ... it's a bus stop and people can be at any stop, any time. Why can't the driver just slow down and observe? I don't want to own reflective clothing or carry a torch - need to think through the power of this one.

#4153

What is up with the bus??? When Dave and I got on today there was one other rider, a man, not regular. Eventually about four more people got on and only one was a regular. We also had a different driver. Good old route 66 has lost its neighborhood charm - geezy pete. Regulars are the people who rode during fall semester - I suppose we can create a whole new set of regulars, but so far there haven't been any. Every day is a new set of people (and not very many of them at that). I heard on CNN and read another blog about today being the most depressing day of the year. Some guy in England created a formula based on debt, days after christmas and broken new year's resolutions that indicated today would be the ultimate downer. He didn't even take into consideration (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) how dark and cold it is, too. Perhaps this depressive environment is holding back bus riders? Seems like as good an explanation as any. It's so boring, I might have to find something else to blog about.

#4144

Monday morning and by the time we reached our stop at ASU, there were only 4 of us on the bus. Unprecedented! There was a man (not regular) on the bus when it arrived at our stop. Dave and I got on and we picked up a guy at Mill and Southern. It was unbelievably empty, especially for so early in the week. Is it a holiday and no one told me? Should I still be in bed sleeping? Dave was there, so he, too, thought today was a legitimate work/school day ... where is everyone? Almost like those old Arby's commercials. Is anybody there??????

The height of the morning occurred at the bus stop. I was standing and doing my keep-warm dance steps when a loud noise caught my attention. Sounded like a monster truck coming down the street and as I looked east on Guadalupe, there was a set of twin headlights fully capable of being a loud vehicle. As the lights neared, it became apparent that the twin headlights belonged to two seriously large, loud motorcyles, and as they passed, they honked! Or beeped ?!?!? Not sure how to define the noise of a biker dude's horn (noise maker?). Somehow honk and beep and horn don't seem appropriate words to go along with bike, biker, biker-dude - conceptually, horn, beep and honk don't get it. Have to think about that for awhile.

We noticed that we still don't have a regular driver. Had a new woman today. Dave suggested perhaps recently released prisoners could be given bus routes to drive - he thought it would give them a sense of purpose and teach them responsibility. Not to mention that they probably could easily handle the occasional unruly passenger. A noble idea, but my prosecutorial experience taught me that most criminals are criminals because they can't seem to make good choices. Give them the choice between an obviously good idea and an obviously bad one and they pick the bad choice every time. To top it off, they never see how their choice/behavior/decision is the cause of their troubles. It's always, always, always someone or something else that is to blame. Kind of like OJ - her behavior made him kill them - he had no choice, eh? Given all this, not sure I want repeat offenders driving buses - neither the buses I'm on nor the ones I drive near. A large motor vehicle full of people is not the place to be making bad choices.

Wow, did I just lecture on or what????? Pardon me, but I hardly ever get to speak about prosecution these days. I'm off the soapbox and back to the web.

#4132

Yeah, yeah, another 4100 bus, yada yada yada. When I first started this I was very intrigued by the numbers - so much for that fantasy.

Another cold morning at the bus stop - lots of clouds so it was a bit lighter, but still cold. Worst thing is, if you overdress for the AM, you have to haul the aggressive clothing home on the bus in the PM and it's way too warm to wear it then. I tried lots of little layers, but then I'm like Hansel and Gretel dropping bread crumbs - lots of small pieces falling behind me as I head for the bus stop in the afternoon. Whine, whine, whine, eh? I know - if this is the worst thing I ever have to deal with ....

Nowhere near the energy on the bus as fall semester. I'm thinking dark and cold are pulling people down. No crazy people, no crazy driving - very dull for a wannabe famous blogger.

Dave is taking the same bus as me since he got a student worker job that starts at 7am. He's driving a golf cart to pick up and deliver disabled students. Some of them are regular (boy, that word pops up everywhere) and some are temporary broken legs and such. We were talking about crazy cart drivers and he said he thought about the irony if he would run into and disable a person with the disabled transportation cart. We got almost hysterical laughing about it. I suggested he could purposely run over people and then they would need the cart - kind of a job security thing. In Ohio, we had a couple of volunteer firefighters who set fires on purpose so they could go on the calls and get paid - same thing, huh? Oh well, the conversation added spark to an otherwise dull, dull, dull ride.

#4150

Another 4100 bus - there are signs on the buses about new buses coming, but I'm thinking route 66 doesn't qualify - we're a small market route and I think it's going to stay that way. I don't really care as long as the buses run - see one broken down every now and then. Wouldn't be so bad in winter, but a summer breakdown could get testy.

School started yesterday and I rode the bus but didn't have time to blog - nothing exceptional happened so I'll make this a two-for-one post. Today was actually pretty tame, too. A few regulars, but not as chippy as last semester. Maybe it's the weather. It is cold and it makes hibernation seem like a viable option. There are quite a few apartment complexes in half the ride and I wonder, too, if people move. Arizona is quite the transient state and moving is a way of life. That would account for many of the missing regulars.

Speaking of regular, we have no regular driver. Wonder what happened to my little printing pirate friend? It's more fun when the driver gets to know you. The driver today was a crank. We got on and the first thing he says to me is, "You need a light." I know our stop is dark, but didn't realize it was my duty to light the area - I'm supposed to carry a torch or something so he can see? It's not an unreasonable request, he just made the request unreasonably. Then, Dave was behind me, and the driver yelled at him for tossing his cigarette in front of the bus. Said, "What if I had a gas leak and you tossed your cigarette there?????" Again, a valid point, but made in a very unfriendly, confrontational way. You would have thought Dave was 5 years old and was receiving severe discipline. We both kept our mouths shut and the driver eventually moved on to other things. Hope he doesn't get our little route too often - would prefer he did not become the regular.

#4154

This feels like a new number, but don't they all? The moon was setting and occasionally caught glimpses of it getting larger as it went down. It was a reverse harvest moon - very cool.

Today was "Big Man's Day" on the bus. There were three really large men riding - I'm talking 6'4"+ and and easily over 250 lbs. All three had large frames and when all were on at one time, it seemed to fill the bus. The one man was already there when I got on and sat in the front, at an angle letting his oversized backend hang over into the area I usually occupy. He didn't seem interested in moving his large carcass, so I sat at the other side of the seat. I don't really care where I sit, but I didn't appreciate the apparent attitude that he could sprawl all over the bus and people were forced to move around him. I wonder if very large people have a sense about the space they occupy? His leg blocked the aisle and yet when others boarded the bus, he made no attempt to move his leg. Do large people just push their way through life? He really got on my list when his cell phone rang. It was actually funny - the ringtone was a pathetic midi version of "Hall of the Mountain King" - the middle notes were all wrong and it seems that song should be very easy to program - it comes down in thirds, but this missed the mark. When it started to ring he just let it go - waited through the whole ring before he answered - WTF? Then, of course, his voice was loud - with his size would we expect soft-spoken? He was quite chatty and went on for several minutes - more rudeness. The final act was hilarious - he was wearing sweats and when his turn came to get off the bus, he stood up in the middle of the aisle, paused a moment, then made a large deal of pulling his pants up. Perhaps it wasn't a large deal, just seemed like it due to his overall largeness - hard to miss the act. It was such a geeky move - he walked off looking like PeeWee Herman on steroids. Very entertaining.

#41??

Completely forgot to look at the number this am. I know it was a 4100 craft - just not which one. Guess it doesn't matter since I don't look for repeats right now. Very discombobulating start to the day - packed up my backpack then left without it. Didn't realize it until I was at the bus stop and it was too late to run home and not miss the bus. The only trauma is Sarah's birthday card is in the backpack, so she won't get it until late today. Bummer .... really wanted to have it for her at lunch. I might have thought of it earlier, but when I went out, the garage door was up. I had to go through, shut it and come back out again. Disconcerting as I know it was closed last night. I specifically remember closing it when I got home and later I walked and passed the house a hundred times and would have noticed if the door was up. Around 9:30 I thought I heard it go up and wondered if Sarah had stopped by, but she didn't come in and I figured I had imagined the noise. Guess not, but not sure what made it go up. I wonder if she's at the hand and hits the remote button... could the door raise from that distance? We might have to run a few tests to see just what is the range of the door opener.

Oh well, I digress - this is a bus blog. Another somewhat odd day on the bus. There were only four regulars and no one got off the bus until me. I was the first one off which is so rare as to be unheard of in my bus experience. There weren't a lot of riders, but usually someone gets on and then gets off two or three stops later. Everyone who did get on, stayed on and I felt like I was breaking a rule when I pulled the cord for my stop. It broke the silence and created reverse movement - really weird. The early morning dark bus rides have a surreal, Twilight Zone quality and then when things get a little sideways - whew - the universe is in full tilt.

#4128

Still recording the bus numbers, but have really stopped looking for duplicates. One of these days I'll be seriously mindbent and go back and create a chart - possibly after retirement?

Today's ride started off unusually. When the bus pulled up to my stop I noticed the inside was completely dark. The door opened, the interior lights didn't come on, but I kind of groped my way in and found the slot to slide my card. I was the only one on the bus and asked the driver if the lights were broken. He gave me a long answer that I couldn't really understand (had my headphones on) and was finished by the time I got the 'phones off. Due to the length of explanation, I assumed the lights were fine and he just had a problem with them. I heard the word "glare" and assumed he meant for his vision. He said he'd leave them off until somebody complained. I told him I didn't care - made viewing outside easier. We picked up another passenger and she commented about the darkness. He didn't offer her any explanations, so I figured it would take a major complaint to get the lights on.

I really didn't mind it at all, although it felt a bit like a cross between a haunted house ride and an episode of the Twilight Zone with maybe a little ColdCaseFiles/CSI thrown in. Perhaps the driver was a serial killer who had hijacked the bus and was planning to murder passengers in the dark. I didn't see any bodies on the floor of the bus, so assumed any murdering was going to start with me. We kept collecting people and poor Steve the Mechanic couldn't read his USA Today - he never said a word, but had a bewildered, confused expression. We do like our ducks to line up the same every day, don't we? Finally, at Southern and Mill, the driver turned the lights on. An elderly woman got on and I thought he wanted to cut her some slack. I expected him to turn them off after she was seated, but he left them on the rest of the ride. I think he was experimenting and when the bus reached a certain passenger saturation point, his nerve failed him and he caved to conventional wisdom. It made for an interesting ride.

#4150

Well long time, no blog. Over the holidays there were lots of days off and I drove other days - errands to run, places to go, etc. We're back in the regular routine now, so bus blogging should resume with some regularity. Both yesterday and today there was a scarcity of regulars. Not sure if it's post-holiday syndrome or school being out. Today had a few more riders, but none of the hubub from the past. I know school will add more riders, but a lot of the regulars aren't students. I guess they are now the irregulars ... One of the regulars, Steve the Mechanic, sat in a totally new place and actually shared his USA Today with another regular. They get on at the same stop and must have engaged in a relationships of sorts. Steve always sat on the front seat and read his paper. Today he came on and, even though a front seat spot was available, he went down the aisle and sat next to the other guy. It was kind of chummy and neat. The bus driver wasn't a regular and he spent the whole ride chatting with a newbie driver. He was on a serious ego trip, kept saying how he'd "been there awhile" and "knew all the ins and outs" - later said he'd been there for five years - that doesn't seem like "awhile" to me, but I guess that's a relative concept. He had that negative, union mentality, bashing the management and claiming you weren't safe as an employee if you didn't have union representation. Sounds like he's totally bought into some labor propaganda. Who IS the enemy? Oh well, she says and buries her head deeper in the sand.

A quick re-read and the beginning of this is full of the word "regular" - let's see what the dictionary has to say about that ... hmmmmm ... here's the #1 definition: Customary, usual, or normal. That seems to sum it up appropriately enough.

#4109

This is a bit different - didn't take the bus today, but want to tell about the ride home last night. It started out awkwardly - a bus rounded the corner and the bus info sign light wasn't working. With my bad night vision I had no prayer of seeing what was up there, if anything. I stepped forward and the bus slowed then stopped about 20 feet before reaching me. I couldn't read the sign and was walking slowly toward the bus. The door opened and I heard the driver say "...six south" - since I wanted 66 southbound, I ran to the bus and asked if it was 66 south. The driver said yes, I sighed with relief and boarded. I told him the sign wasn't working and he said he knew that - I'm sure he'd heard the complaint before (duh!) but put a hand written sign in the window or something (duh!). I thanked him for announcing and sat down. The driver looked vaguely familiar and I wondered if he yelled the bus number because he saw and remembered me?

I had the bus to myself for a few stops and then some interesting people got on. First was a huge, huge man - huge in tall and big frame - not fat. He was easily 6'8" and maybe some. He had very long hair, worn like movie women in the 40s - nicely brushed, parted on the side combed across the forehead - Veronica Lake maybe? He was wearing a brown jacket and cargo shorts in a fashion like a UPS driver and carrying a brown briefcase. It was an odd combination and enhanced by his immense size. He talked to the driver and the man across from him and seemed quite nice and normal.

The next interesting people to get on were a young man and woman. He looked like a standard issue college student and she looked somewhat the same except for being extremely overweight. She was only about 5' tall and that added to her rotund appearance, I'm sure. Kind of an "as wide as high" thing. She talked very loudly - I mean almost yelling. It was as though every word was meant to be heard by everyone on the bus and possibly people in cars next to the bus. It wasn't a pleasant voice and she didn't say things that most people want to hear. One snippet of conversation: "Do you know the cross dresser that works at Circle K? EVERYONE knows him - who are you if you don't know him?" I don't know him and was disturbed to think someone like her just decided I was NO ONE because I didn't know this person. She was rude, obnoxious, smelly (horrible cigarette odor) and generaly yucky. I tried and tried to think of some redeeming quality or understand that things directed her to be this way, but I could not find one shred of compassion or empathy for her. She was awful - her conversation, her attitude, her language, her odor, her appearance. I couldn't wait for her to get off that bus and I think everyone else concurred. We all sat with twisted bodies facing front as best we could. I swear there was a collective sigh when she departed. My first truly unbearable experience on the bus.

She was gone, relief was in the air, but it became a little more interesting as we got closer to my stop. The large fellow with the briefcase, opened it and took out a box cutter. I know a box cutter and it was a box cutter. He closed the briefcase and put the box cutter in his jacket pocket. He looked just fine, but I had to wonder what was up with the box cutter. Was he going to attack the driver and hijack the bus? He and I were the only passengers and I obviously wasn't worth any kind of ransom. It was just such an odd, random act. Oh well, I knew the number was painted on top of the bus just in case it became a police emergency. We kept getting closer to my stop and then I wondered if he was waiting to get off when I did and kill me? It would happen on court TV ... he pulled the cord for the stop before mine, however, and got off like any normal passenger. Thanked the driver and walked away. Didn't hear of any slashings or killings overnight, so who knows?

The last oddity of the ride - once the guy was off and the bus started to go, the driver said, "you're the next stop, right?" And he was right ... I knew he looked familiar and thought he might have remembered me from another time, but to remember the stop where I got off? Freaky night on the bus.

#4145

Gotta say this number does not ring any bells. Still in the 4100 class, but that 45 at the end just isn't familiar. They all look so much alike, only the number could make a difference - too busy to archive dive for reference.

Another cold morning at the bus stop. As I was getting ready to cross Guadalupe, a bus roared by - I was about a minute late leaving home, but didn't think the 66 would get there so early. Sometimes the 92 is very late and I just hoped it was 92 whizzing by and not 66. Crossed the street, hopped around for a few minutes and bless it, good old 66 arrived. The problem with a bus that runs every 1/2 hour, by the time you decide you did miss the bus, it's really too late to go back home and warm up as it would be time to come back to the stop - might as well just do some on-site exercising and practice vile oaths and death threats to the bus company - it's ALWAYS the bus' fault that a ride is missed. Riders NEVER are responsible for their own destiny ...

The ride was quiet, calm and uneventful. I've decided the cold temperatures and morning darkness combine to make somnambulists of bus riders. We function, but with no energy or life - sleep riders actually. I'm pretty sure everyone is sound asleep with their eyes open. No group of people could be so unreactive without a logical explanation. Just can't figure out how we know when to pull the cord for our stop - subconscious behavior? Predestiny? Too much for my early morning brain to contemplate.

#4123

Remembered to look today - didn't bring my book so I could pay better attention to the ride. I think I've been on 4123 a lot lately - I know it was a take home bus the other night. Again with the 4100 class.

Freezing ass cold at the bus stop - must have been 40 degrees tops and light wind. Felt I was well dressed, but still had to do some hopping and foot shifting to keep the extremities warm. Only supposed to go up to 65 for a high today - mid 70s are coming tomorrow, though.

Lots of regular riders, hardly any new ones. Amazing how comfortable it gets. Different driver today - wonder what happened to my little pirate ... hope he gets another shot at route 66.

Even without book there was nothing remarkable to report about today's ride - smooth, uneventful - a lot more pleasant than driving.

#whatever

Geez, another lost number. I'm so focused on reading my book, I forget to look at the bus number. Layout was the same as all the 4100s, so I'm sure it's one of those. The other day I was at a meeting on the second floor of the Foundation Bldg and seated right next to the window. I could look down on College Street where all the buses come and go. To my surprise, the bus numbers are painted on top of the buses, just like the movie, "Speed". Can't imagine anyone hijacking a bus on good old route 66, but I guess anything is possible in this world. Nice to know we could be found if lost.

Today's ride was unusual only in that no one spoke to anyone else. Usually there is some chatter between a couple of riders, but today was complete silence. About half the regular riders were on it, but none that converse. A different driver - haven't seen my old counterfeit printer friend for a couple of weeks. My riding has been sporadic, but I should have seen him if he was still on the route. Wonder if they purposely rotate the drivers? Avoids complacency, but it's nice when there's someone who knows what's going on - the driver looks for the regulars and makes small exceptions. Maybe that's what the bus company wants to avoid. Too bad if it is.

#I don't know

Sorry to disappoint, but I completely forgot to look at the bus number. I'm sure it was just one of the 4100 boys - nothing remarkable. I have a book I'm reading and have become a bit obsessive about getting to it ASAP on the bus. Really hampers my observations, but I must finish. Need to use a book while waiting for the bus and not so much while on the bus.

Last night's ride home was a blast. The bus was full and I was going to stand, but a kind person made space for me in the front seat - wedged between one of the morning regulars and a seriously large girl. The bus kept getting more passengers and a guy got on and hit me full in the face with his backpack. No big deal and he was very apologetic. Eventually, the regular rider to my left got off and the backpack guy sat down. He asked if I rode this bus often and I said every day, but not at this time. He laughed and said it looked like I wouldn't be riding it at 5pm in the near future. I said I would avoid if possible. Told him how nice and uncrowded the 6am bus was and the large girl to my right agreed and another man said the 5:30 am was even nicer, but it took him an hour to get to work. I said I worked at ASU and had a nice, short ride. Backpack guy asked if I was a professor and I told him I did web things and was a student. He seemed a wee bit surprised and I said I didn't go earlier in life and when the opportunity arose with the tuition waiver, I took it. Told him I was graduating in December and he was so nice. Kept saying, "that's cool" and "good for you". His enthusiasm made the whole thing worthwhile.

That's what's so nice about the bus - these small group interactions - might never see any of these people again, but we chatted like old friends for a few minutes and the trip and day and life were better for it.

#4128

Doubt if this craft is new - one of these days I'll go through the archive and make a list of buses ridden so I'll know. Never thought I'd get this far. Today's ride had to be an all-time snooze. The only remarkable thing was me being the very first rider on the bus - a virgin-like experience that lasted until the next stop. Oh well, it never happened before, so it was unique. I brought my book along and read the whole way. The book is good and apparently nothing of attention-grabbing note occurred since I read without distraction until time to get off. It's dark for the whole ride, now, and that makes things outside the bus less distracting. Watched the moonrise on last night's ride home, but it had already set by this morning. No complaints, just makes for a boring blog entry.

#4133

Uh oh, forgot to archive dive and see if this guy is new. The number is vaguely familiar, but aren't they all by now? Kind of a non-regular regular day. Regular driver - not there. Regular newspaper guy - not there. Regular backpack guy - not there. Other regulars - there. There was no heat on the bus - not sure if the driver was having hot flashes or the system was broken. Was really looking forward to the warmth of the bus after standing in the cool (well, cold since it's Arizona) morning air and there was no warmth. There actually was the ever-so-slight smell of rotten eggs. A bit like a sewer smells, but very faint. I couldn't connect it with anyone, just seemed to be part of the bus. Oh well, it's always something where my nose is concerned. Steve, the auto mechanic/USA Today guy had a nasty cough - made me wonder about the bus and flu season. I never think about these things usually, but the pandemic talk has me thinking about sneezing and coughing and closeness these days. Talk about a place prime to share germs - the only place worse is an airplane with it's closed air system. The bus at least gets some outside air passing through as the doors make frequent openings. Hate to drive, but wonder if it might not be prudent for the next few months ...?

#4144

Holey moley - what a bus ride!!! This day surpassed anything that has gone before. Not even sure I can relate everything that went on - oh well, best shot. First, this is a repeater - last seen on September 29, 2005 - had to do an extensive archive dive for that info.

The bus was later than usual - I saw it coming and thought it was going way too fast to stop - it went by me and then screeched to a halt about 10 feet past the stop. As it flashed by I saw the number 108 on the sign (huh???) but saw a regular in the back seat so raced down to the door and jumped on. Not the regular driver (no surprise) but a woman who apologized - said she didn't see me for the glare (like my white hair doesn't glare in the headlights?). No big deal and I grabbed my usual seat, ready for a calm ride to school. The driver continued with the bat-out-of-hell driving and slid past two other riders at two other stops. She saw them, but just barely. Both are regular passengers and both made laughing comments about the "near misses". I noticed that there were no new faces. Every one who boarded was someone who I've seen regularly before. There is always, always, always someone new and it was starting to get freaky as everyone was familiar to everyone else. The driver calmed down a bit and, except for the lack of new faces, the ride took on the flavor of "usual", that is until we got to the Tempe High School stop - release the hounds!!!

A couple got on the bus with their luggage - each had two huge suitcases plus a "carry-on" - took forever for them to get on the bus and situated in seats. After they loaded, two more people got on, a woman and a man. The driver, in the loudest, meanest, most hateful bitchy voice ever yells to the woman, "Hello - I NEED TO SEE IT!", referring to the woman's transfer slip. It was the most unprovoked, hate-filled voice and attitude I have ever heard. Near as I could see, the woman did nothing to be treated so rudely and my (and that of several other passengers') jaw went down. What the ....? Now, earlier on, it became apparent that the cords on the bus were not activating the stop message. It had worked out because people were getting on at all the stops where people wanted off. However, the woman who had just been yelled at wanted off the bus and pulled like a maniac on the cord. It didn't work and, of course, the driver didn't stop. The woman walked forward to the front next to the driver and said something in Spanish - trying, I believe, to convey that she needed to get off the bus. The driver yelled at her again and made angry motions for her to get behind the yellow line. It was crazy and the woman retreated to the back of the bus. My stop was next and before I could do anything, the engineer guy yelled from the way back seat - "Next stop, please." We were at the light at Apache and Mill and I wasn't sure she heard him, so I stood up and said, "Next bus stop, please." I moved forward and the driver calmly stopped the bus at the stop. I said thank you as I got off and she was as nice and pleasant as could be. Note, the woman who wanted off the previous stop did not get off.

Once off, a guy who gets off there, too, when he rides, looked at me and I looked at him and he said, "What was that about?" I had to laugh as it was so nice to know I wasn't alone thinking this was one crazy lady driving that bus. I commented to that effect and he said, "You know, some people just hate Hispanics, maybe that was the problem." I couldn't disagree because there was no other explanation.

This took lost in translation to a new level and added several new dimensions of weirdness. The driver was a fairly young African American woman and I was totally unprepared for her meanness to the Hispanic lady. I don't know if ethnicities came into play here, but would not have expected discriminatory behavior in this instance. Whatever caused the rift, it was a ride to remember.

#4133

This might be a new bus. I see 4132 and 4134, but not the 33. Whatever, it looked like all the other 4100 series. Wonder if there are 4100 of them? Took some sewing on today to see if it increased the ride speed. Didn't feel it was as fast as the other day, so dodging furniture dolly man's questions must have been the real secret to a fast ride. Not sure I want to repeat that, though. Today's ride had lots of new people and lots of conversations. Especially interesting since I could keep my eyes on my work and listen extra hard. Had a substitute driver who knew a passenger and they chatted up a storm the whole way. The back of the bus was in full discussion - flu guy even moved from his usual corner seat and got up in the high back area. Lots of sports talk again until engineer guy got on - he actually used the word "capacitor" today - amazing. Ride had a very "hubbub" feel about it, but energizing, not exhausting. Glad, too, since I woke up at 2:45 am and never went back to sleep. Gonna be a long, long afternoon.

#4131

I know this is a repeat bus. Almost all the 4100 class buses look the same - difference just seems to be amount of wear and tear to the individual craft. I think the 66 route has a ridership that's not too hard on the vehicles. I've ridden some on the 81 that are seriously worn down - flattened seats, no padding, lots of general scuffing. The 66 buses never seem to have the abused quality that I've found on some of the 81s. The 66 just caters to a kinder, gentler ridership.

Today's kind and gentle ride was just that - uneventful and polite. Many regulars and a whole slew of new riders. Wish I was a bus researcher and could ask lots of pertinent questions. There are so many stories behind the stories - be nice to get into a few of them.

Noticed everyone is wearing coats in the morning - gonna be 90 degrees this afternoon, but it was cold at the bus stop. Must have been around 50 and that's freezing to acclimatized Arizona blood. Half the stuff I carry is clothing - overalls for painting class, light shoes for heat, coat for coolness, long sleeve shirt for over-the-top air conditioning. It's difficult staying comfortable in Az even when it's the nice time of year. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times -- they can get people to the moon and back, but have no idea how to regulate an HVAC system. Our brightest and best aren't working on basic life comforts, apparently.

Not much of a bus blog, today - not much of a bus ride.

#4133

I think this might be a new-to-the-blog bus. Forgot to dive before I started this post. They all look the same now - I need something really unusual to spark my memory. Regular driver was there and many regular riders. Low key ride and dolly boy was not back - I knew it! No one can haul a furniture dolly around on a bus day after day after day. Whew!

Back of the bus engaged in a small amount of Monday morning review of football weekend talk. Was actually kind of funny listening to them describe the Cardinals - lowered the bar to a new level; it's a business, not a sport; they are paid to play, not to win; makes participation in professional sports almost accessible to the common man (that last one really cracks me up). Mike and I had a good football weekend - ASU and Bengals both won. They weren't pretty victories, but the mark is in the correct column and that's what matters most.ASU isn't home again until the day after Thanksgiving - guess I can go to the studio and get stuff done for a change.

Had an email exchange with Dave that prompted three haikus:

A brownie picnic --
Moments of chocolate bliss
spent under the stars.

Tiny crescent moon
Smile barely lights my way;
A new day begins.

In the cool night air
The cigarette smoke wanders;
She knows where he is.

Almost prolific - never have figured out where these things come from - don't do them for months on end and one day everything I think is in the 5, 7, 5 meter of a haiku. Wonder if I was a Japanese writer in a former life and he/she is trying to get out occasionally? Only explanation I can think of. Didn't say mine were good, but they are almost accurate. Should put a mention of the season in - difficult in Arizona as all seasons kind of blend together. I'll work on it the next time the haiku bug attacks my brain.

#I don't know

Completely forgot to look at the bus number this morning. Got on and started stitching on my t-shirt project and lost track of time and place - sort of... Was stitching along and some guy got on the bus with a furniture dolly. I've seen some larger items carried onto the bus - even toted a few myself - but this was one strange thing. Wonder if he planned to haul something back on the dolly on the bus? Should have asked.

Anyway, he was one of those people who don't know a stranger and immediately engaged me in conversation. Asked me what kind of sewing I was doing. He wasn't rude or even obnoxious - just unable to sit quietly on the bus and wait for his stop. I knew he wasn't really interested in the sewing, just wanted a conversation and the sewing was the opener. I told him it was resist for screen printing and that actually silenced him for a moment. Not sure if he was thinking about it, totally confused, whatever. Gave him no detail, but certainly gave him pause for some kind of reflection. He then started talking and I tried to be pleasant while speaking as little as possible. He was quite good at going on by himself, but every now and then asked me a very pointed question to bring me back into his discourse. The timing was good as I finished my line of stitching just as I needed to pull the cord for the stop. I folded the shirt, put it in my backpack and stood up for the stop. The guy talked the entire time and was hollering "have a good day!" as I stepped off the bus.

I realized as I walked toward work that the bus ride seemed to take about 5 minutes - fastest ride I've ever experienced. Not sure if it was the sewing or artfully dodging conversation - it was just plain fast. Think I'll try sewing again to see if it was the culprit. Pretty sure that guy won't repeat - how many times can you take a large dolly on the bus?

#4154

This is a repeat bus, but I don't remember its configuration being so different - seemed a little elongated this am - perhaps my brain wasn't at full capacity and it just seemed the bus was longer because the brain was shorter. Who knows?

This was right up there with one of the all time most boring rides ever. Could hardly keep my eyes open. Many regulars, many new - regular driver wasn't there and I'm beginning to think that does impact the flavor of the ride. Finally, toward the end, the bike guy and the flu guy began discussing global economics - wish I'd been sitting just a tad closer. There was an extremely large young man sitting next to me and I think his physical size blocked some of the bike guy's conversation. His words went in and out of focus, while I could hear the flu guy very clearly - he was catty cornered across from me - sound waves didn't have to go through the massive body to my left. Either that or waxy buildup in the left ear - again, who knows? Their conversation made me realize I need to find a reliable, unbiased (ha!) news source and get back in the loop. I'm so sick of the fear-pandering, blood-lust of the news media (print and video alike) - they let W be elected - fie on them! Perhaps the Hindu Times or the London Times - need to get off this continent to learn what's going on in the world. Wow - did I just get almost politically active in this blog? Time to retreat.

#4134

This is a new craft. Made a full-scale archive dive and found no reference to #4134 - lots of 4100 buses, but no 34. Seemed clean and fall fresh - well vacuumed, etc. Merry maids would be proud.

Today's bus ride was totally and completely "normal" - regular riders chatting in the back, regular riders getting on and off at their usual stops - absolutely, positively boringly normal. Didn't realize how much I looked forward to the odd or quirky event that is the real guts to this blog. Don't want too much adrenaline, just something to chew and reflect upon. Today provided nothing. All familiar faces doing their standard routine. Even the engineering guy got on and engaged in the conversation without shutting it down or steering it to parts unknown and unwanted. How dull can that be when you can't count on the local color to contribute -- color, that is.

Oh well, it was kind of neat - just before my stop the computer lady voice announced, "Arizona State University", and four of us got off, scattering in multiple directions. As I walked east on Gammage Parkway, the sunrise silhouettes of the buildings and ever-present palm trees reminded me that I do live and work and play in Arizona now - hits me like a whack-a-mole punch every now and then.

#4124

Once again I'm just too preoccupied to archive dive to see if this is a repeater. Nice bus, nothing special or weird. Regular driver was not there. Pretty sure Monday is one of his semi-regular days off. Wonder if there are substitute drivers? Like the guy today - does he have a regular route and once or twice a week subs on other routes? Does our regular guy sub on other routes? Might have to discourse with him about how these things work. Geez I ask too many questions.

Back of the bus sounded like a wannabe version of ESPN's sports center. Not exactly Monday morning quarterbacking, just lots of re-hashes of all the football games from yesterday. Fun to listen to, although not nearly as articulate and "clever" as ESPN - more like a "reality" sports center. About halfway through the ride this ASU student gets on (he's the one who asked about my tackle box and told another lady about an "excellent book on prayer"). He's familiar with the backseaters and always immediately joins the conversation. However, he never talks sports, it's always about engineering topics. Today he announced some grant that became available and started using terms like "electron compositor" and "rigorous polynomials" - in seconds, he was the only one talking and the whole bus became eerily silent. I didn't have the nerve to look to the back (fear of laughter on my part) as I could envision the slack jaws and glazed stares of the people who had, just moments before, been happily reviewing the sports news of the weekend. This guy came in and in his own special "flux capacitor" way, took the air completely out of the moment. One of the riders engaged him in conversation and slowly the others built back up their own sports talk. I'm pretty sure this guy has no clue what a damper he is to basic bus chatter and no one would ever tell him. Next time, I've just got to look at their faces to see if they are as I envision. Maybe, though, I should just let the visualization linger - could be far more entertaining than reality. Rigorous polynomials? What the .....???? Whew - it's a lot for the 6am Monday bus.

#4131

Pretty sure this is a repeater craft, but don't feel like archive diving today. As lively and full as the bus has been the last two days, it was quiet and boring today. Just a nice complement of regulars who remain stoic and still. Even the driver was low key. I really think it's that move toward the end of the week. I mean, we all are riding the 6 am bus. I get up at 4 am to make this happen and must assume others are rising fairly early, too. I don't stay up too late, but we're not looking at 8 or more hours of pillow talk here. I really think by the end of the week, we are sliding toward exhaustion and only the weekend pulls us back up to full energy. Maybe I should starting rating the bus energy level every day and then compare levels by weekday. Sheesh, I sound like a blasted researcher - gotta get a new job.

....duh?!?!?

Well crum - forgot to note the bus number today - had to carry my big duffel bag and a canvas and Dave was studying psychology - too many distractions. Not to mention it was 62 degrees and my little sweater didn't begin to keep me warm. Of course, the bus was on the late side today, so there was much hopping around the bus stop trying to keep the blood flowing - it was a discombobulated beginning to the day. No wonder I forgot to look for the number.

It was crowded again but didn't quite reach standing room. The 6am 66 has become the route of choice it appears. A young woman sitting next to me admired my purse. I've seen her on many trips and today she commented on the uniqueness of my bag. It's the leather one I bought at the Notting Hill street flea market in London and has a decidedly British flavor. I've had several comments on it. Keep this up and we'll all be doing lunch sometime.

The loud talking woman from yesterday was back on today. She and the driver were engaged in animated discussion from the second she got on the bus. She has a loud voice and with the Appalachian drawl, she's hard to miss. He's a talker, too, so they make quite a pair. Lots of very abrupt starts and stops. Hard to believe he's distracted by her conversation, but who knows? Remember, he had some erratic driving during the Tempe parade detour discussion - and what about that topic involves serious spans of attention? I really shouldn't comment, having never driven a bus. Wonder what tomorrow will bring.

#4154

Definitely a new-to-the-blog bus today. Had crisp edges - maybe pretty new to the fleet. Holy moly was it a strange day on the bus. It started out fairly regular - usual beginning riders with one new addition. Each stop kept adding people until we were at SRO - simply unbelievable! This was the 6am bus - most people can't stand at that hour of the day, but the seats were full and the middle packed with people. What's going on in the universe?

A woman got on early (so she had the seat behind the driver) with a serious Tennessee/Kentucky accent - she would talk to anyone within earshot and some who weren't. Going on about her son and new daughter-in-law and new baby staying with her and her ex-husband (sleeping on the couch! of course!). After she regaled several people with the story, she whips out her cell phone (which I believe are really not a permitted use on the bus) and tells the story all over again to the unidentified person on the phone. I was two people away from her and could hear not only her, but the person to whom she was talking. Way too much activity for a 6 am bus. She started the phone conversation telling the person she was having a hot flash and just dying of the heat. This announcement went throughout the bus and even brought the conversation of the regulars in back to a screeching halt. TMI, TMI, TMI ... later in the conversation she said, "I know, Mama" so we all then knew who owned the loud voice on the other side of the conversation. It lasted almost the whole trip and I was struggling not to laugh. Wonder if she heard someone else conversing similarly if she would feel intruded upon? Probably listen with a seriously big ear and even offer comments, no doubt. Talk about center of the universe. Kind of a tilty start to the day.

#4123

I lost track and forgot to cull the archives to see if #4123 is new to the blog. Feels new, but the gray cells are weak and I just don't recall. I don't think I've been on it before - I noticed handicap stickers on two windows where the seats lift up to accomodate wheelchairs and scooters. They stuck in my mind and I think I would have recalled them from before. It's the little things, you know.

Today was strange from the get go. First of all, Dave and I were together on the bus. Never had a co-rider so that was distracting. The bus got to the stop very early - I thought it was the 92 and shocked to see it was 66. Had to scramble around to get my card out. Then, we got to the stop on Baseline in front of McDonald's and the driver announced we were about 10 minutes ahead of schedule (really ?!?!?!?!) and if anyone wanted to get something from McDonald's, there would be time. He, of course, proceeded directly into MickeyD's. So we finally get going and a man pulls the cord for a stop and the driver went past it - the guy had to yell and the driver finally pulled over. Then, he was between "official" stops and stopped the bus to ask a woman who periodically rides if she wanted on ... apparently she said no as she didn't join us. I think the driver has more than a passenger/driver interest in this woman, so he's on the lookout for her. Might be nice to date a bus driver - always have a ride. Anyway, the rest of the trip to my stop was uneventful, but it felt like the universe had suffered a slight axial tilt - things just weren't as usual in an odd way. Be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.

#4121

Another new unit today - at least I think so. I didn't do an archive dive to verify, but the number is not familiar. Very fresh - no undercover Febreezing needed for this craft. Regular driver wasn't there and this was another one of those playing statue days. No noise. Absolute silence except for the computer lady voice announcing the cross streets and transfer lines. It was almost like a Twilight Zone episode - would have thought I had lost hearing if it wasn't for the computer lady. I guess the Friday morning bus is bound to be a compilation of tired people. I'm usually happy that it's Friday, end of the week, but I can feel my energy level has lowered as the week progressed. Perhaps I'm not alone. I wouldn't want to say we were a bunch of zombies, but damn near.

#4131

So where has she been, you ask? Took a week off to get ready for my solo gallery exhibition - needed to do real driving. I've hauled a lot of stuff on the bus, but a whole show's worth was pushing the limit. Missed the bus, although this past Sunday, the whole fam (Ralphie, Jennifer, GramGram, Marie, Leweezy and me) took the bus to ASU to see the gallery. It was hilarious and I'm pretty sure the driver and other passengers breathed a huge sigh of relief when we got off. At one point Sarah and Mike were exchanging the sounds of French animals that they were taught by Miss Houck. Somehow, according to Miss H, a pig in France makes a different noise than a pig in the United States. It was a fascinating conversation and held us and the rest of the bus in awe.

It was revealed on the ride home that this was Liza's first ever bus trip - what's up with that? Poor thing was deprived of one of life's most interesting pleasures. I think she enjoyed the event for the most part - probably wondering if marrying into this family was such a wise decision. I know we appeared to be good-hearted people, but she didn't know about oddities like bus rides and French animal noises. Come to think of it, though .... I believe the idea to ride the bus was hers!!!!!!

This morning we had #4131 - new to the blog, not new to the fleet. It was in keeping with the other buses in the 4130 class - good, solid craft. Driver greeted me warmly and seemed almost speechless when I explained about the show. Not sure if it was my explanation or presence. Wish the latter, but figure the former. Was a very, very quiet ride this morning until the end. Had my tackle box that I use to hold needles, floss, etc., and some guy asked me if I liked to fish. I said yes, but this wasn't full of fishing tackle. I popped it open and he saw the threads and went, ooooohhhhhh ..... crafts! I could have beaned him. He asked if I was a teacher (there goes that gray hair thing) and I said no, an ASU art student. He said he was an ASU student, too. As I got off the bus he told me to have a fun day with my ASU art. He's a little off center, and I think a little bit christian. Oh well, makes a bus story and that's what this blog is all about.