There was a man in the front seat, opposite the driver, who was either loaded on drugs or suffering from some kind of neurological disorder. He would sway around in the seat, get a big huge grin on his face and then laugh. He'd straighten up, lean against the post for awhile and then repeat the whole thing again. It was weird. He was on the bus when I got on, so don't know how long he'd been riding. At Alameda a young man got on and sat a couple seats away from the front. The bus was approaching Southern and the front seat guy suddenly got up and started asking everyone if they had a cigarette. He got no response until he asked the young man who asked if he was getting off soon. The man said yes and the young man said hold on, I can help you. He stood up, got out a pouch of tobacco and a paper, and proceeded to roll a cigarette. It was amazing to watch him and I was torn at his generosity and yet it was a cigarette for godsakes! A paradoxical act of charity, I believe. He gave the man the cigarette and they both sat down. The bus continued on, stopping as usual and the man didn't get off. The young man departed at Southern and Mill and the front seat guy still was riding. I didn't see what happened to the cigarette, but I will never forget its creation. What a night on the bus.
18 July 2006
#4125
Yes, we are double posting today. Tonight's ride home had several oddities I just couldn't ignore. To begin, I was 10 minutes early to the bus stop, and the bus never showed up. It was 111 degrees, no breeze and I had no water. The stop is in the shade, but the building that provides the shade is in sun all day and heat pulses off of it for hours after the sun has passed. To compound the frustration, a road closure re-routed all buses down Mill so bus after bus after bus passed by - just none of them was the 66. Finally, after 50 minutes waiting, the 66 arrived. A lady on the bus told me the previous bus broke down, explaining the delay. It was 5:10 PM, high rush hour, and the ride took forever. There was a bad accident on Mill, just past Southern although it managed to only block one lane. Rush hour and traffic reduced to one lane really drags out the ride.
There was a man in the front seat, opposite the driver, who was either loaded on drugs or suffering from some kind of neurological disorder. He would sway around in the seat, get a big huge grin on his face and then laugh. He'd straighten up, lean against the post for awhile and then repeat the whole thing again. It was weird. He was on the bus when I got on, so don't know how long he'd been riding. At Alameda a young man got on and sat a couple seats away from the front. The bus was approaching Southern and the front seat guy suddenly got up and started asking everyone if they had a cigarette. He got no response until he asked the young man who asked if he was getting off soon. The man said yes and the young man said hold on, I can help you. He stood up, got out a pouch of tobacco and a paper, and proceeded to roll a cigarette. It was amazing to watch him and I was torn at his generosity and yet it was a cigarette for godsakes! A paradoxical act of charity, I believe. He gave the man the cigarette and they both sat down. The bus continued on, stopping as usual and the man didn't get off. The young man departed at Southern and Mill and the front seat guy still was riding. I didn't see what happened to the cigarette, but I will never forget its creation. What a night on the bus.
There was a man in the front seat, opposite the driver, who was either loaded on drugs or suffering from some kind of neurological disorder. He would sway around in the seat, get a big huge grin on his face and then laugh. He'd straighten up, lean against the post for awhile and then repeat the whole thing again. It was weird. He was on the bus when I got on, so don't know how long he'd been riding. At Alameda a young man got on and sat a couple seats away from the front. The bus was approaching Southern and the front seat guy suddenly got up and started asking everyone if they had a cigarette. He got no response until he asked the young man who asked if he was getting off soon. The man said yes and the young man said hold on, I can help you. He stood up, got out a pouch of tobacco and a paper, and proceeded to roll a cigarette. It was amazing to watch him and I was torn at his generosity and yet it was a cigarette for godsakes! A paradoxical act of charity, I believe. He gave the man the cigarette and they both sat down. The bus continued on, stopping as usual and the man didn't get off. The young man departed at Southern and Mill and the front seat guy still was riding. I didn't see what happened to the cigarette, but I will never forget its creation. What a night on the bus.
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