#4153

A little late posting today. Working hard at getting the new web pages up for the college re-naming and fussy stuff like bus blogs can't interfere. Need a break from the tedium of HTML, however, so will post a bit about today.

Again the bus was nicely populated and the repeaters are really working on becoming regulars. There are three people who have ridden as steadfastly as anyone the last couple of weeks. I still won't bestow the "regular" moniker until after a couple of months, but it's looking good for them. Of course, they could bail out if the gas prices ever retreat. Never have understood what makes the prices of fuel rise and fall - not convinced the old "supply and demand" principal is at work here. Whatever, I really enjoy not being in a car among the crazy Valley drivers and am considering taking exploratory trips on the weekends to see just where I can get to on the bus.

Engineering Guy was there today - geez he's entertaining. His best words today were "ductile fracture" and "crack propagation." The uninitiated might think he was discussing street drug distribution - crack propagation????? I am currently obsessed with chain stitch embroidery (thank god I got obsessed about something in art - thought I had burned out and lost interest). Anyway, I have a small piece I'm working on that I carry with me on the bus. Thought I'd scan it - not finished - so you could see how I occupy my hands during the ride.

#4135

Well, no SRO today, but still nicely full and many, many repeaters. Just heard on NPR that Arizona's gas prices are higher than the national average, so wonder if that is adding to our ridership. Scottsdale tops out at $3.14 a gallon - whew!

Interesting discussion today - Dave is contemplating piercing. He asked if I ever heard of "industrial piercing." I told him I hadn't and wasn't sure if I wanted to ... apparently he is seriously thinking about an industrial style piercing of his ear to celebrate his graduation next spring. He wants a bar that extends through two sides of his ear (see photo) and he hopes to have it in the shape of Sparky's pitchfork. Seems a bit aggressive to me, but whatever floats your situation, I guess. Big hair lady was sitting next to Dave and told us about a guy she saw in the store who had a series of barbell piercings running down the center of his bald scalp - a kind of metal mohawk. She said it was quite unusual and I know if I'd seen him, I would have wanted to touch it. It was a lively discussion and so nice that she joined in. We're becoming a group, I believe. Too bad it's an early morning crowd. If this was a late afternoon ride home, we'd be stopping for margaritas by summer's end.

#4135

Do the happy dance, Bert! We had SRO today. Been a long time since so many were on the bus and the best part of all --- many are repeaters! Looks like the billion-dollar-a-gallon gas pricing has done Valley Metro a favor. There were two new guys on the bus when it got to our stop - remains to be seen if they return. Ridership remained light until approaching Southern and then they began to pile on - what a delight. Engineering Guy was there again today and he polished it off by announcing very loudly as he boarded, "Wow! The bus is really full today!" EG is never at a loss for words. He and Dave stood for awhile until I made room for Dave on my seat and then someone got off and EG was able to sit down.

EG got off with me and Dave and talked as we walked onto campus. Dave and EG engaged in a verbal battle of who had the more difficult semester. There was a lot of crowing on both sides and I didn't detect a winner. Seems to me, difficulty is relative, kind of like pain threshold. Who is to say they had THE most difficult semester? Bet at certain times, any one of us would have traded days with one of the other. Perspective and relativity - hmmm .... need to make an image for that one of these days. Today, of course, celebrates SRO.

#4150

What a great bus day! It had all the elements I crave in a good bus ride. Last night I shared a death ride home with bicycle guy, but that story will wait for a snoozer morning.

Today started off slow but as ridership built it got more interesting. The stop at Southern and Mill seems to add the most people to the ride. Today we got many repeaters and a man I've never seen before. He was tall and rather stout with white hair - probably in his mid to late 50s. He seemed as average as any of us seem, but as the ride progressed I noticed he was doing something with his hands. The right hand held out four fingers and his left hand held one - he moved them around as if counting and his head and lips would move as though talking to himself. A pattern quickly established and it was evident he had some type of situtation like autism. He sat next to Dave who later said the man smelled like the VA hospitals - an odd mix of soap and clay. He was neat and clean, the neurons were just not letting go. It's sad in one respect, but then again he was out and about on his own two feet. But for the grace ... Dave said he has seen him frequently on later buses going home.

The best part of the ride was the arrival of Engineering Guy! He hasn't been around for awhile and I do miss him. He makes me laugh and who can't use a good smile to start the day? He bounded (literally) onto the bus at Broadway and Mill and nearly ran the length of the bus to talk to bicycle guy. Seems EG saw BG earlier in the morning (is that possible? we are talking the 6am bus here) and EG was simply ecstatic. He didn't use any fabulous terms today, but it was just a pleasure to have his energy on the bus. I was surrounded by repeaters, EG was there in full form - it just couldn't have been better.

#4131

What a nice bus day! Filled almost to capacity and lots of repeaters. Will call people repeaters until they have at least two months of reasonably regular ridership under their belts - then they get to be regulars. Tough, I know, but my standards are high and I want regular to mean something. Not sure how I'll know when two months is up, but it sure sounds good, eh?

Smoke hair lady is close to one month of reasonable regularness and two other women are easily in their third week. I do believe the cost of fuel has given people plenty of reason to ride the bus - especially ASU students and employees. We can get a free bus pass - free!!! Sure there are some inconveniences to bus riding, but free means no gas used, no trips to the pump, no heart-stopping terror as the numbers roll ever higher on the gas pump money meter - too bad Exxon! Tough cookies, Mobil! Sayonara, Royal Dutch Shell! We have free bus passes and don't need no stinking gasoline!

Wow - I'm bordering on rabble rousing today.

...duh....

Well, take a few days off and the brain goes to pond scum. Completely forgot to look at the number. Oh well. It felt good to be back on the bus and I'm very pleased at the number of regulars now riding. Smoke hair lady (darn smoke) has been there very frequently and two other women are now quite regular riders. Gasoline has gone to $3 a gallon and that has to be some incentive to make use of public transport. I found that the longer I rode, the more I didn't want to drive. Each new encounter in the car with traffic makes the bus look so much more inviting. The bus can have its oddities and even unpleasantries, but nothing in this old world is perfect and the bus sure beats driving in rush hour traffic.

Nothing very exciting took place today, although smoke hair lady and I are exchanging words more often. The bus suddenly made a very loud, very strange noise and we both were quite startled. I thought a wheel fell off and she thought the brakes exploded. Turned out it was the microphone when the driver decided to announce the intersections. The whole ride the driver was quiet and suddenly, at Broadway, decided to announce. I think she blew into the microphone and that was the loud noise. Smokey and I laughed and talked about it a bit. A minute later, Dave said something about Daisy Duke's and I told him it was no longer there. As she was leaving the bus, Smokey told me the new name of the bar that replaced DD's and smiled. Interesting lady. For today's image I put the word "regular" into Google and searched images. The most popular return was regular polygons and this is a picture of Delica beads done in a pattern of regular polygons. I guess each of those shapes could be a bus rider - each slightly different, but all lined up and riding the bus.

#4130

Today was a lovely bus day - lots of riders and much talk. It began with Dave and the driver recalling the gun event from Friday - I guess the police gave the driver a hard time for bringing the gun to them. He said they told him he should have left it where it was and called them to come get it. With the police, it seems you almost never do it correctly. Oh well, it's over and today our lives continue.

The big hair lady got on, sat next to me and, sadly, smelled heavily of smoke. My hopes for her rehab are dashed and I won't travel down that road again. I sure don't understand how she could have been so aromatically pristine and now returns to full tar and nicotine? Maybe my olfactory system was acting up one day? Why must I assume it's her and not me? Good point.

Two young men got on the bus, dressed in what used to be called "Goth" - not sure if that phraseology is still used these days. The one guy was wearing a long black coat, similar to a duster, but the top was more buttoned and military-like. It was quite stunning and eventually he sat down next to me. I wanted to ask him about it, but thought he might think I was a crazy old woman. Finally, I just couldn't resist and asked him where he got the coat. He advised a friend in London designed it for him and I told him it was just beautiful with wonderful lines. He seemed quite pleased, and the women across the aisle joined in, telling him how nice it looked. As my stop neared, I started to gather my things and he asked if this was my stop. I told him it was and he told me to have a good day. It was a very pleasant exchange and made me vow to be less hesitant to tell people when I like something. I feel good when someone gives me positive feedback and I think he must have liked it, too. Nothing builds the confidence like having strangers compliment you.

Image today is a night view of Las Vegas. Be sure and click on the image to see the big picture. Leaving tomorrow morning for LV and will return Friday afternoon. Celebrating Ann's birthday and no place is more fun for that than Las Vegas. Be back at the blog on Monday.

don't know ... don't care

Well, it appears I missed the ultimate in bus riding experiences on Friday. I'll do my best to relate events accurately, but this is a second-hand re-telling, so accuracy is not guaranteed.

Friday morning, as the bus traveled north on Rural, the driver spotted a gun on the sidewalk. He stopped the bus and Dave, having also seen the gun, offered to go investigate. Dave got off the bus, went back to the gun and thought it was a toy. He said it was beat up, the stock was broken, springs were hanging out - it looked like a well battered toy gun. He picked it up, saw there was no clip and looked in the barrel. He said he isn't a gun lover and not overly knowledgable about firearms. As he brought the gun down toward his side after looking at it, the gun went off - fortunatelyy firing the round into the ground. He said the noise was tremendous and the kick staggered him - especially since he wasn't expecting it. I guess he then determined there weren't any more live rounds in the chamber and took the gun onto the bus so the driver could give it to the police. Dave said he was quite shaken up by the incident, especially realizing he had looked into the barrel and an ill-timed squeeze on the weapon would have killed him. He gave his name and phone number to the driver, but as of this morning had not heard from anyone about the incident. It made such a noise, Mark (AKA bicycle guy) heard it from his stop and wanted to know what happened when he got on the bus.

Dave said he couldn't stop thinking about it all day Friday and actually most of the weekend. I can imagine since he so easily could have come to harm from the incident. He was so fortunate that things happened like they did for him and it's scary to think about some school kid coming along and finding the gun on the sidewalk - might not have been as lucky as Dave. Sure never thought I'd be blogging about something like this.

QX4

No "bus" on the blog today - need to pick up the son and DIL at the airport, so brought Iris Infiniti to ASU for the day. She sits in the garage and wonders why she doesn't get to go to school any more. I'm sure after a day in the Gammage lot, she'll remember why she likes to stay at home. I did secure the best shade spot in Lot 3, so she shouldn't get too hot while waiting until we go get the kids.

The other reason for the non-bus blog entry is to wish myself a happy birthday. I'm old enough to not want anyone to know, but I still want to enjoy a bit of feeling special, so I made a "39" cake (as you can see) and have posted it to mark the passage of another year. I think 39 seems like a wonderful age and we'll stick with that for this year. Happy Birthday, MFebber - may you enjoy many more bus rides.

#4133

This number seems new - I need to create the repeater craft chart so these things can be determined at a glance. Maybe in a couple of weeks.

Today was a truly lovely bus day. There were lots of riders - regulars, irregulars and newbies. Newspaper guy didn't ride today, but there was still a buzz about the bus. Bicycle guy and one of the other regular guys did the sports chat like crazy in the back. Dave was telling me about a religious zealot at work who has decided his soul needs work. Two new ladies got on the bus, sat in the front seat and talked and talked and talked. I think it might have been the chattiest ride ever, outside the afternoon rides home with the high school kids. That doesn't really count since it's fueled by get-out-of-school teen energy. I'm talking about a chatbox at 6AM - big difference. I sure hope this is a sign of things to come.

#4122

What a yawner! This day on the bus looked to have potential - there was road construction on Guadalupe and blockades with flashers surrounded the bus stop. The driver had to do a neat weave to get into the space in front of the stop and then a quick turning maneuver to rejoin traffic. I thought it was the beginning of an interesting ride, but it was to be the heighth and depth of adrenaline possibilities for the day. The rest of the ride was a first class snoozer. Newspaper and bicycle guy chatted about basketball; Dave read his paper; big hair lady got on, but no discussion was happening for her to join - dull, dull and duller. I guess they all can't be eventful.

#4122

What a totally uneventful morning on the bus - nice group of regulars and the irregularly regular but nothing of note upon which to comment. Dave chatted with Mark (aka bicycle guy) about work and I just listened and drew on an ugly bag I had for carrying shoes. No one else spoke. It's almost full light the whole time on the bus and it seems people would be more awake. I guess daylight doesn't really remove the sleep from the mind - maybe not even the eyes. Good day for an Arizona-type picture - is this sunrise or sunset?

#41 ... uh oh

Well shoot, I looked but didn't write the number in my book. Oh well, it was an unusual day and when the story is revealed, all will be forgiven.

Yesterday on the bus, Dave mentioned that he was looking for a particular song to add to his online media class blog - "Life by the Drop" by Stevie Ray Vaughn. I have some SRV and knew where to look for more, so told him I'd see what I could do. It was amazingly easy to find and I emailed it to him - piece 'o cake. Pleased at receiving the song, Dave asked if I wanted to catch the 5:30 bus this AM and he'd take me to IHOP for breakfast as a thank you. Sounded like a grand plan to me, and that's what we did. By getting off one stop earlier than usual, we just walked straight up the Apache access road to the restaurant. Breakfast was good and I was in place and working by 6:45.

There were only four of us on the bus including the driver. We had a lively discussion about the different Valley transit companies and the addition of light rail. I thought we were a rather erudite group for a 5:30am gathering. As much as I love regularity, it's good to break up the routine occasionally.

#4122

New look for the blog today - wicked nice, huh? Decided to let my minimalist muse do her magic. There are about 12 templates to choose from for the blog and I took the least involved and made a few very minor changes to the CSS. One of these days, as time permits, I'll re-work it a bit more; but, for now, I think it's quite nice and relaxing. Who knows? Maybe it will win a Webby - ha!

The ride today was mellow city. I've been trying different seat locations and today moved closer to the back of the bus where the really-regular braintrust sits. Newspaper guy was nice, welcoming me closer to the elevated area. He thought my presence added and I feared it would detract. Maybe next week I'll go upper level. I couldn't find an exact floor plan of the Valley Metro 4100 class bus, but found a reasonable facsimile and made some adjustments to get it close. I indicated my regular seat with the red triangle and today's seat with the purple triangle. Newspaper guy's regular seat is so marked.

#41something

Completely forgot to look at the number today. Was busy telling Dave and the driver about last night's ride and who thinks of bus numbers while regaling others with exciting stories?

Last night's bus ride started out very normal, a full bus but no one standing. I was in the back on the upper level, next to the door and there were two young men back there, too. At the stop just before Southern, a fellow got on the bus and engaged the driver in conversation. Couldn't hear what was going between them so didn't know if it was a problem or chat. The fellow was kind of scruffy and wearing one of those spongy ball caps turned at an angle. He wasn't quite a street person, but his scruff didn't have the look of a hard day's work, either. He continued to stand next to the driver and the discussion ensued. The driver stopped at the next stop to let off passengers and then continued south on Mill. About halfway down the next block, not at an "official" stop, the driver halted and opened the door. The driver said very loudly, "full fare or no transfer" - we all looked forward and the driver then yelled, "full fare or no transfer".

Suddenly, the fellow at the door reached over, grabbed some transfer tickets and ran off the bus. The driver undid his seat belt and ran after him; however, just as he got off the bus, it started to roll forward and the driver hopped back on, got in his seat and regained control. The guy who stole the transfers trotted alongside the bus, waving the tickets at the driver and flipping him off. It was an adrenaline moment and a half! I felt bad for the driver as the idiot guy got away with being a jerk and a thief and I'm sure the driver was frustrated. Thank goodness he gave up the chase and got back on the bus - might have had to put our best bus driving talents to the test. I could tell that both of the guys sitting in back with me had tensed up and were ready to assist if needed. I've been on buses where drivers made people get off for not paying, but never witnessed an almost physical confrontation and theft. No dull moments on that ride.

#4122

Nice day on the bus. The second bicycle guy was back. He gets off at ASU, and I bet he's an employee, not a student. Doesn't carry a backpack or some other kind of bag and that's usually the first student clue. With the increased parking decal rates, I bet we get more like him as time goes on.

Dave and I discussed his in-depth article about the "white cop on the res." I like to play devil's advocate and he holds up pretty well. He still has a lot of attitude about authority and he adores using "mother f--kin'" and "white mother f--kers" - he repeats the quotes as often as possible and uses that to justify the allegation that there is racism against whites on the reservation. I bet there is lots of hate and racism against whites, but a drunken NA screaming racial epithets while being arrested does not seem to me to be enough evidence to proclaim rampant racism. I want journalism students to become responsible reporters; not just looking for an angle and using sensationalism to make something compelling. I think tunnel vision reporting reveals nothing of substance and only fans the racist flames. I think I've gotten a bit editorial here and definitely off bus talk.

The best thing about today was the smoke hair lady - she sat next to me and I did not detect even the faintest hint of smoke. Not sure what that was I picked up the other day, but it most likely did not come from her. She was aromatically pure and if she's a serious smoker, that would be impossible. Maybe she never was the smoker? Maybe she lived with a heavy smoker and was wearing another's aroma? Maybe that relationship is over and she can join the ranks of the pure of smell? Oh the speculations one can create. She listened to me and Dave a bit and added several comments. It was quite nice on many accounts - think I'll change her name to big hair instead of smoke hair.

#4134

And another Monday morning on the bus. Very low ridership and I noticed the 60 didn't have it's usual load of traffic. It's not a government holiday, so I wonder if lots of snowbirds have returned to their summer coops? It's so nice when they aren't here - traffic is lighter, restaurant and store lines are shorter - it's a kinder, gentler world during the Arizona summer.

I guess words like "kinder" and "gentler" don't seem quite right with 110 degree heat, but it's really not that bad, especially once you're acclimatized. Some people never get used to it, but they plan to leave all along and I think their mindset won't let them accept the heat. It's really no worse and, in some ways better, than winter hibernation in the east. In Ohio we spent months with no sunshine and temperatures in the teens and 20s - too nasty to be outside, no sun to make things bright - it was cloudy, endless gray. Here during the summer we spend time indoors to keep cool, but the sun is always there and in the morning, it is quite tolerable to go for a walk or do a little yard work. That doesn't happen too often in Ohio in February. I do miss the stark change of seasons and a good snowfall cannot be beat for beauty. Just need to win a lottery and have multiple homes to enjoy all the seasons in many places. So what's up with this and the bus blog? I do digress.

Dave was all spiffy today in a jacket and khakis - nice change from jeans and flannel. There's a big march scheduled downtown about proposed illegal immigrant legislation and Dave has to attend and cover it for his journalism classes. Could be very interesting. Hope it doesn't get violent - no one benefits when tempers get out of hand. Today I decided to use a picture I took on a recent desert walk. Are those storm clouds rising over Phoenix, literally and otherwise?

#4131

This number feels new - maybe this weekend I'll do the archive dive and create a chart - how hard could it be? This bus didn't have straps, so apparently installation is in progress. I used the strap for a minute on last night's ride home - a helpful addition.

Today's ridership was very nice. We all had comfortable space and everyone who got on was someone who had ridden before. The professor was there and smoke hair lady, again. For the second time this week, we had a second bicycle guy. He got on at the stop after mine - wonder if he'll become a new regular? Twice isn't enough - I'll have to make up the rules and then post them. I bet we start getting more regulars, though. ASU sent out the new parking decal rates and yoweee! They are almost doubling the cost and there will be less spaces available. There are 35,000 cars that go to ASU daily, only 19,600 parking spaces and plans to reduce parking spaces by 25%. The math is killing me - no wonder parking is such a nightmare! We still have the cheapest parking in the Pac 10 and pretty cheap for most of the country. They are offering incentives to keep people from driving individually (good luck with that) and the free bus pass is one of them. I bet there will be some increase in bus ridership - it's a very decent alternative to the crummy traffic and killer parking. I think today's picture is self-explanatory.

#4126

Well today's bus had the new straps, too. Must be installing them on all the 4100 class craft. I'm thinking this means there won't be new buses for the routes that use the smaller 4100 series. I guess that's OK as long as they make small improvements and upgrades. Our ridership on 66 isn't huge, but we're bygod faithful.

Nice mix of the old and new today - at one point there were six women and four men. Nice to have equal gender representation. Smoke hair woman was there again - she's working on becoming a regular. There were two young women who have ridden several times in the past two weeks. They get on at one stop and get off at the next. I'm always disconcerted when people do that - why don't they just walk down to where they get off? Most stops are less than a quarter mile apart - that's like walking around a track one time, only less! Wish I felt like I could ask someone. I don't really care, but am curious at the thinking process. Do they even realize they are getting on and almost immediately getting off? I do think in this age where we are such slugs and could use all the exercise we can get, why not walk that extra bit? A little of it every day would be so good for us.

We did have an unusual event today - a disabled rider joined us on Mill. I've been with lots of disabled passengers on the rides home, but this is my first ever pick-up of a scooter enroute to work. She must park her scooter a lot, as she whipped right into the little parking space on the bus and only made two tiny adjustments. Remember the shouting lady and the 3,000 maneuvers? - whew! Made a picture today about walking and slugging - pretty gross.

#4150

Got the number today and that's about all worth documenting. It was an extremely "normal" day, ridership was up a bit, but none of the excitement from the fall. Maybe people will get more active as the weather heats up? Seems opposite of what I would expect, but I can't figure out the lethargy and lack of riders. It's getting lighter at 6am and full light when I get off the bus - maybe as the sun travels higher, more people will start to ride. The woman with the big smoke-smell hair was back today. I caught a whiff of the ciggie - yuck! She sat across from me, so thankfully I wasn't enveloped in the aroma. All hope that she gave up the fag is gone - oh well.

Talk about regular, though. Yesterday, Dave and I were discussing his new teeth (?!?!?) and forgot to pull the cord for the stop. Our dear, regular driver, however, stopped anyway. It was so nice and I thanked him profusely for taking care of us. Also, I noticed a new addition to the bus hardware - overhead straps! A nice touch for the shorter crowd when conditions require us to stand. As you can see, I took a photo.

#4128

This feels like a new number - one gets intuitive about these things after a while. Archive dive - still needs to be done.

Nice day on the bus, ridershipwise. All the early regulars plus a few semis who are starting to appear more often. The photo day guy was there yesterday and today - maybe a new regular is being born? Remember the big hair woman who smokes? She got on today and sat next to Dave. Of course, he smokes, so he wouldn't notice the aromatics floating off her hair; although, I must say I didn't notice any smell when she got on and I pick up smoke icky very quickly. Maybe she quit? That would be nice. Newspaper guy and bicycle guy were chatting Final Four with one of the semi regulars. So nice to hear the buzz of sports talk - it's a great diversion. Not depressing or agenda-based like politics or religion, just something in which to be interested that doesn't really matter.

The real talk of the day was from Dave. He has a new partial plate and it took over his conversation. I remember when the braces went on - every thought focused on the strange feelings in the mouth, so I'm sure he'll think about it until the plate settles in and he forgets he has it. I took some photos on the bus, but, in the end, I have to honor Dave's new teeth.

#4122

Been a few days - took a long weekend trip so no bus ride on Friday. Saw a Greyhound while on the road and saluted in honor of bus riding in general. Not sure I'd want to do cross country on the bus; although, went from Dayton, Ohio to Toronto, Ontario on a coach, and it was quite comfortable. If the 66 had buses like that ... wow - I'd just ride - never get off. Guess that's what they fear.

Today's ride was a potpourri of regulars, regular irregulars and newbies. Not a lot of people but a pleasant mix. I was tucked into my usual corner and a woman got on and sat in the front seat next to me. And I mean she sat next to me. The whole seat was open but she snugged herself into the seat in a way that she oozed into my space. The front seats are higher than the others because they are over the wheels. This means her hips were positioned right at my shoulder/chin level, and she had some advanced hips. I sat my ground at first, but eventually wanted to separate myself from her, so I ooched ever so slightly to the left. It's a delicate balance, reacting to things we don't like but doing it so as to not be obvious. Exhausting to do - exhausting to write about. Nothing struck me worth creating an image today, so I'll include a picture of Gypsy (aka Kitty Con Carne), the felonious feline owned by my daughter-in-law, Leez, and her husband (my son), Mike.

#4122

Zippity-do-dah! An interesting day on and off the bus. Our miniscule number of regulars was on the bus - newspaper guy, bicycle guy, big coffee cup lady, Dave and me. We cruised down Mill Avenue and Dave talked about his in-depth story of a white policeman on the res. After a ride-along, he thought there was a big racism issue and the officer he thought would give him an interview apparently didn't see the "curse the white man" attitude of the Indians as racism. It upset Dave's story plan and I can see how reporters end up creating news. They have a story idea and a deadline and if things don't work out as envisioned, "creative" interviewing and writing could result. I think Dave is too principled to invent a story, but he wants to find the racism angle and is looking for someone to tell that viewpoint. Like an attorney leading the witness, eh? Might be pushing the line of impartial reporting, even though he said they are being taught to tell "both" sides of every story. When's the last time you read both sides?

Well, I digress from things bus. Anyway, we got to Southern and - oh happy day - the professor and engineering guy got on the bus. I just love it when EG rides as he's always good for some interesting tidbit. He twisted around on the seat and I heard him say he wasn't ignoring them (meaning newspaper guy and bicycle guy), he just had to face forward or backward. I assume he was indicating potential for car sickness. Odd since I've seen him stand sideways in the bus for almost the whole trip and never indicated he was near hurling. Possibly a new affliction? A bit later I heard the phrase, numerical analysis - another EG gem. I think there was other hubbub type talk, but Dave was talking, too, and my ears don't multi-hear as well as I'd like.

We all got off and walked down Gammage Parkway. Dave asked EG about being in absentia from Jack-in-the-Box and EG said he found a new way to snug down in Noble Library. Dave said that was nice, but no dollar burgers in Noble. EG agreed and then segued into an observation that desirous things are rarely good for us. I thought about it and decided chocolate is most definitely desirous and not too harmful, so I announced "chocolate". A brief discussion followed about overindulgence and Dave announced "Morel mushrooms". That hung out there for a second or two and I announced "chocolate covered mushrooms". Dave was enthusiastic, but I think it shocked EG. I told him anything was better with chocolate on it, even asparagus. Just replace the Hollandaise with hot fudge and you're good to go. We turned on Forest Mall and eventually EG took his leave. I think he wasn't sure what to do with Dave and me and might be a little tilted all day after the discussion. Bet he hopes he never gets gray hair.

#4127

Been a long time gone - didn't ride on Friday or yesterday, toss the weekend in the middle and it seems like forever. It's getting lighter and warmer at the bus stop - spring (or Arizona's version of it) is here. Orange blossoms are out and the aroma drifts in and out of the air. The jacaranda trees are flush with purple flowers, really very beautiful. I doubt if the desert will have a bountiful display this year. No rain for 144 days makes wildflowers unhappy. Wait a minute, I thought this was a bus blog - what's up with all the weather and flower talk? Enough already.

Ridership was slight today, but two regulars from the fall were on and it made me nostalgic. I looked up synonyms for "regular" and there are quite a few: uniform, even, consistent, constant, unchanging, unvarying, fixed, rhythmic, steady, even, frequent, repeated, continual, recurrent, etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum. Whew! what a collection of like terms. Wonder why I keep coming back to regular? I like frequent - maybe we could have a frequent riders club and get mileage points? It works for the airlines - a month bus pass for every 10,000 bus miles? Not sure how you'd calculate it - have to brainstorm and report back. I think it has possibilities. Light day, light blogging. I made an image today in honor of being regular - like the sunrise and sunset, you can count on regular riders.

#4145

This might be a new number - eventually I will do a complete archive dive and create a lovely chart of buses ridden and how often. That will occur when I have nothing better to do with my time ...

Today was one of the emptiest buses ever. I think on President's Day, only Dave and I were passengers and that's the winner. But today it was me, newspaper guy and bicycle guy for the whole ride until the stop just before I get off. At that point, two irregulars got on and changed the dynamic from familiar to mixed. Nothing is ever said and I wonder if newspaper guy and bicycle guy notice the numbers of riders? I just can't believe it's the same route that was so robust with people during the first semester. One morning we had SRO! Now, I could lie down, fill a side, and no one would be disturbed. Oh well, just as long as a bus keeps showing up at the stop - no worries how many are on it.

#4154

Remembered today's number and the ride was so boring, that's all I remember. However, not to fear, readers dear -- last night's ride home was action-packed and makes for an interesting blog entry.

Last night's bus (5pm) was comfortably full which is light ridership for that time of day. The driver was a maniac - hitting speeds near 80 MPH between stops. I had to call on all my buns-of-steel strength to keep from rolling off the seat or slamming into my fellow riders during the high powered accelerations and deccelerations. We weren't running late, so his haste was a mystery. Passengers kept getting off, no one else got on and eventually I was the lone rider. We sped down Rural and took the corner at Guadalupe on two wheels, halting abruptly at the bus stop in front of the strip mall. The driver jumped up out of the seat, said, "I'll be back in a minute, ma'am" and left the bus. I figured he wanted a cigarette or coffee from the convenience store, but instead he was dodging five lanes of traffic to cross Guadalupe and go into Arby's. Speed mystery solved - he was hungry!

Time passed and there I sat, alone on a running bus. I started thinking about getting in the driver's seat, taking the bus on up to my stop and leaving it there for the next person who wanted to try bus driving. I value my freedom, however, and felt the police would be less than kind, perceiving my bus driving as theft. A felon, I'm not, so I abandoned the driving plan, but as time ticked away I became a little irritated that this fellow would leave his bus and assume I wasn't a risk to steal it. How boring is that? I returned to contemplating bus theft (I'll show him what a risk I can be bygawd), when I spotted the Chopstick Express. It's a nice little Chinese restaurant with the best crab rangoons ever. My mind started working in a new direction and I decided I could get dinner and walk home - it's only a mile and I needed to fill in some more steps on my pedometer. I firmed this plan in my head and then wondered about leaving the bus. The driver still hadn't returned and I debated my duty to stay with the craft. As a paying passenger, am I protecting an investment? Bus theft isn't common (have you ever heard of Grand Theft Bus?), but any such incident would be costly and who always bears the cost of doing business? I decided to stay with the bus until the driver returned - it just felt like the right thing to do. I finally saw him coming across the street so I got off the bus, met him at the sidewalk and said thanks for the ride. I walked over to ChopEx, ordered a Kung Pao Chicken combo, read the paper while I waited for my order and then walked home. The rangoons were delicious, my pedometer was flush with the extra steps and I had a lot to write about in the bus blog.

#4112

Hmmm...can't remember a 4100 bus in the teens - no time to archive dive, but I really don't recall anything under the 20's. Oh well, even with a new number the bus was the same as usual. They keep promising new buses, but I just don't think our little route is going to qualify - ridership (at least at 6AM) is minimal.

There was an older woman sitting on the same seat area I usually occupy. I could have sat down next to her, but decided to break with tradition and sit across from my usual self. This got weird for Dave as I sat where he usually sits and then he had to make a change of seat decision - domino effect of seat changing. Kind of fun - might change again tomorrow, even if my place is available. Later on in the ride we got some of the old regulars back, but I was wondering, what ever happened to Steve the Mechanic? There's an answer out there somewhere.

The ride was boring and Dave was talking blogs. Blogs, blogs, blogs. All the world has become a blog. I love writing my blog, but wonder if we aren't becoming a bit too information-rich? There's so much available to read, it's hard to know where to begin. I get to the point where I don't care and stop reading altogether. I used to love the bookmobile when I was kid. It was a mini-library on wheels and the selection was limited. However, it was quite possible to feel like you could read your way through it all. You knew which ones you had read and which ones were left to go. The regular library was almost too much - which book to choose? That's how I'm starting to feel about information and the Internet. Yowch - and that's how I earn a living. Best not bite the hand that feeds, eh? Made a timely, topical graphic for today.

#4124

Spring break is over and bus riding should be back to usual. Newspaper guy and bicycle guy were there, as well as ASU student. Dave was there, too, and that was it for regulars. Didn't even get any semi-regulars and only added two irregulars. What is up with this? Can't imagine what summertime will be like.

The ride today was very uneventful so I'll discuss the big bus blogging news from this weekend - we have gone international! An enterprising fellow from Manchester, UK started his own bus blog and was looking for others to cross link. He found me and we're now joined at the link and another bus blogger from the Greater Manchester area, Salford to be exact, also posted a comment and we're now joined at the link, too. Great to know others see writing possibilities in the daily bus ride. I've secretly longed to be a double deck blogger, but the US doesn't have interesting buses like that. Have to settle for good old route 66.

Was going to post a map of Manchester in honor of my fellow bus bloggers, but can't make it legible for blog size posting. I took some photos while in Flo and will post my favorite - my gumby legs self portrait - pretty cool and totally not related to anything bus bloggish.

I Wanna Ride The Bus!: Bus blogs

I Wanna Ride The Bus!: Bus blogs
This is a post about bus blogs from my new busblogmate, GM Traveller. It's so nice to know others see the observer potential in bus riding. Makes me want to go on a blog search and see if we can uncover other rider writers.

#4122

This is actually a false post. I drove to work today - going to Flo for the weekend. I was laughing on last night's ride home, so thought I'd post it today as a filler. Caught the 4PM bus at 10th and Mill and ridership was light considering the time of day. Of course, it is spring break and with no ASU or Tempe Union High School students, not much left to fill the seats. About two stops after I got on, a man boarded wearing the headphones belonging to some portable audio device. He was in his late 40's, early 50's and dressed in shabby business casual. He dropped into the front seat, across from two young girls. The girls were laughing and joking and I think he assumed he was the cause of their laughter. They had been that way since I got on the bus, but he didn't know and made the leap that he was the source of their humor. He commented to them about his music, pointing to himself and saying, "see, I'm hip." At that, they did laugh and I believe it was at, not with, him. Eventually, the bus emptied and as we approached Rural and Guadalupe there was only me, the driver, the man and another woman on the bus. Suddenly, the man started singing along with his music! It was hideous - even the finest vocalist can't sing well with earphones and this man's vocals were not fine. The other woman and I looked at each other in amazement and I saw the bus driver look up into his rearview mirror. The other woman got off the bus, the ride continued, and so did the singing. At Lakeshore, the bus was stopped at the light and the driver turned around, took off his sunglasses and just stared. I was laughing and he looked at me and said, "what are you laughing at?" It surprised me and I just pointed to the back of the bus and said, "Him." The driver turned around and I pulled the cord for my stop. The driver had been so unfriendly, I wasn't sure he'd stop, but he did and when I said thank you, he said thank you. First really cranky driver and definitely my first bus vocalist. Image today has to be a music player.

#4122

I remembered the number and it was about the most memorable part of this day's bus ride. The driver - our regular guy :) - noticed my absence yesterday and made a hooky comment. Newspaper guy was in place and I think we ended up with seven total riders: four regulars, one semi-regular and two irregulars. Dave was there today even though it's spring break - going into work I believe. He was talking, but the bus fan was running and between his low, rumbly voice and my old ears, I could barely understand him. Felt like I was in the Seinfeld "low talker" episode. Might be I'm a "diminished listener" - whatever, it's frustrating. Nothing of any interest going on the ride today, so I created a giant snooze-a-rama for today's picture.

#Not

Didn't ride the bus today - had my annual smashogram, so drove the big I. Parking at the hospital was a nightmare. There is construction everywhere and they have these little squidgy signs for directions. It felt like playing a board game, except I was ON the board - kind of like stepping into the map. I just parked as far away as possible and walked to the building. Too bad more people aren't willing to take a few extra steps. Be good for them and the rest of us. Trying out a new Dashboard widget that lets me post an entry to the blog directly - we'll see how it works. Back on the bus tomorrow.

#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.