I thought one of the windows was open slightly causing a humming, whistling sound. Then I realized it was the guy sitting behind me. He hummed from 54th Street to 38th Street. It was really bizarre.
Then one of the high school student’s cell phone rang. His ring tone was “Candy Girl” by the Jackson 5. That made me smile.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Super Mario Brothers IndyGo
While waiting for the bus, I watched a man walk west on the sidewalk while fighting trash cans, trees, bushes and anything else along the route. I don’t know if he was hallucinating, or if he really felt compelled to fake punch everything around him.
I was thankful I was on the north side of the street and he was on the south side. I didn’t think he would fight me, but one never knows. He reminded me of an early ‘90s Super Mario Brothers. He walked in a somewhat straight line, but jumped, kicked and punched the air, all while moving westward. He was like Mario punching little boxes for coins, jumping on mushrooms and leaping over bad guys.
He didn’t board my IndyGo bus.
I was thankful I was on the north side of the street and he was on the south side. I didn’t think he would fight me, but one never knows. He reminded me of an early ‘90s Super Mario Brothers. He walked in a somewhat straight line, but jumped, kicked and punched the air, all while moving westward. He was like Mario punching little boxes for coins, jumping on mushrooms and leaping over bad guys.
He didn’t board my IndyGo bus.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Break from the Bus, Get Up Here
On my break from the bus last week, I took many alternate forms of transportation. In Chicago, I rode the Elevated Train, known as the “el.” One of my fellow passengers, yelled out the window, yelled at other passengers and yelled at Cubs fans for about five stops. He didn’t make any sense. We tried not to laugh at him, more laugh with him.
Then he realized his stop was approaching. He jumped out of the seat with excitement, hunched over, yelled, “Get up here!” reached around to the back of his pants, grabbed his BVDs and his belt and dramatically hoisted them up wedgie-style.
Cheers to the CTA bus tracking system. Jeers to the crazy el rider.
Then he realized his stop was approaching. He jumped out of the seat with excitement, hunched over, yelled, “Get up here!” reached around to the back of his pants, grabbed his BVDs and his belt and dramatically hoisted them up wedgie-style.
Cheers to the CTA bus tracking system. Jeers to the crazy el rider.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
911 at the IndyGo bus stop
911, What’s your location.
I thought the 911 operators asked what’s my emergency. Not the case.
Ohio and Meridian, northeast corner. A man has fallen on the sidewalk and can’t get up. (yes, I said that.) We think he had a seizure.
Are people with him?
Yes, he is surrounded by people, but not medical professionals…
I called 911 today. I was on IndyGo, we stopped at Ohio and Meridian like the other buses, but outside our IndyGo bus, a man fell over. People surrounded him. Other people asked other people what was going on. Nobody was calling 911. I know there are theories about groups of people not taking action because they see other people, and assume someone else will take care of it.
Not on my watch. Not on my bus.
I thought the 911 operators asked what’s my emergency. Not the case.
Ohio and Meridian, northeast corner. A man has fallen on the sidewalk and can’t get up. (yes, I said that.) We think he had a seizure.
Are people with him?
Yes, he is surrounded by people, but not medical professionals…
I called 911 today. I was on IndyGo, we stopped at Ohio and Meridian like the other buses, but outside our IndyGo bus, a man fell over. People surrounded him. Other people asked other people what was going on. Nobody was calling 911. I know there are theories about groups of people not taking action because they see other people, and assume someone else will take care of it.
Not on my watch. Not on my bus.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sagging Pants, IndyGo Dress Code
School’s back in session and students are riding IndyGo. One would think they would ride the yellow buses, which pass the IndyGo regularly, but there are students on my bus. A cute young lady who attends Herron High School boarded the bus today in khaki pants, red shirt and red sweater. I love the new dress code. Students look professional, yet youthful.
Then a young man boarded IndyGo, and I thought he should be on the way to school, but his lack of dress code told me otherwise. Black hat with a map of Atlanta highways (this could be a whole blog entry itself), bill straight with the shiny, round sticker on it. I know that I don’t know about hat fashion; however, I don’t understand why the shiny, round sticker stays on the hat. When I buy new clothes, I remove the stickers and tags before wearing in public.
If someone knows about this shiny, round sticker on the bill of the hat fashion statement, please explain. And he wore black jeans, not just low rise, but sagging to mid thigh. And there was a belt on these sagging pants. Again, not an expert on the fashion “the kids are wearing” these days, but sagging seems dated. Maybe I’m dated.
Then a young man boarded IndyGo, and I thought he should be on the way to school, but his lack of dress code told me otherwise. Black hat with a map of Atlanta highways (this could be a whole blog entry itself), bill straight with the shiny, round sticker on it. I know that I don’t know about hat fashion; however, I don’t understand why the shiny, round sticker stays on the hat. When I buy new clothes, I remove the stickers and tags before wearing in public.
If someone knows about this shiny, round sticker on the bill of the hat fashion statement, please explain. And he wore black jeans, not just low rise, but sagging to mid thigh. And there was a belt on these sagging pants. Again, not an expert on the fashion “the kids are wearing” these days, but sagging seems dated. Maybe I’m dated.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
I took a Civic to catch IndyGo today
I missed the bus today. On my way to the stop, I saw it zoom by. To be fair, it was earlier than normal by about 4-5 minutes. I walked past my neighbor on the way to the stop, then walked past him the other way a minute later.
“I missed my bus,” I said.
“Really? Well get in. Let’s catch it,” he said.
“No, it’s OK. I’ll just drive,” I answer.
“Really, get in. Let’s catch the bus,” he said with such conviction. I got in his Civic, and we drove to catch the bus. On the way downtown, we passed several stops with people at them, people usually on my bus. We knew the bus was early, and they had missed it. The story may have been better if we stopped to pick them up, but remember, I don’t really know these folks, I just recognize them from the bus. And, we’re in a Civic.
Finally, halfway to downtown, we pull up in front of the IndyGo, and I hop out of the Civic, and hop on the IndyGo. People on my IndyGo route recognize and me, know I get on much earlier in the route, and one even asks, “Did you just take a car to catch the bus?” a little laughing, a little believing this is not far-fetched for the IndyGo girl.
“Yes, that just happened,” I said loudly enough for other people to notice.
And then I stepped on my soapbox, and announced to the riders of IndyGo that this is why we need the bus tracking system. If you are new to my blog or don’t know about the tracking system, link to www.ctabustracker.com. It shows you, in real time, where your bus is along the route, and how soon it will be at the next stop. I found out yesterday that IndyGo has this technology, but lacks funding to work out the challenges and implement. This small improvement would make such a big impact to IndyGo.
If you want to share your support, log on to www.indygo.net/feedback.asp and say you want the bus tracker system. Seriously, I took a Civic to catch the IndyGo this morning. Stayed tuned, this is just the beginning…
“I missed my bus,” I said.
“Really? Well get in. Let’s catch it,” he said.
“No, it’s OK. I’ll just drive,” I answer.
“Really, get in. Let’s catch the bus,” he said with such conviction. I got in his Civic, and we drove to catch the bus. On the way downtown, we passed several stops with people at them, people usually on my bus. We knew the bus was early, and they had missed it. The story may have been better if we stopped to pick them up, but remember, I don’t really know these folks, I just recognize them from the bus. And, we’re in a Civic.
Finally, halfway to downtown, we pull up in front of the IndyGo, and I hop out of the Civic, and hop on the IndyGo. People on my IndyGo route recognize and me, know I get on much earlier in the route, and one even asks, “Did you just take a car to catch the bus?” a little laughing, a little believing this is not far-fetched for the IndyGo girl.
“Yes, that just happened,” I said loudly enough for other people to notice.
And then I stepped on my soapbox, and announced to the riders of IndyGo that this is why we need the bus tracking system. If you are new to my blog or don’t know about the tracking system, link to www.ctabustracker.com. It shows you, in real time, where your bus is along the route, and how soon it will be at the next stop. I found out yesterday that IndyGo has this technology, but lacks funding to work out the challenges and implement. This small improvement would make such a big impact to IndyGo.
If you want to share your support, log on to www.indygo.net/feedback.asp and say you want the bus tracker system. Seriously, I took a Civic to catch the IndyGo this morning. Stayed tuned, this is just the beginning…
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Why Lie, It's For Beer
So I haven’t seen anyone else making out in alleys or on IndyGo, but I did observe the best little kid ever. My friends and I are walking to lunch, when I notice a mom and her son (who I almost missed because he was wearing camouflage) and daughter, about six and four years old, respectively. We stop at the corner of Washington and Illinois, and a panhandler featuring a sign that reads, “Why Lie, It’s for Beer” is also at this corner.
Then I hear the cute little boy in camouflage shorts say, “Hey, hey, I tried to say hi to you and you ignored me.” I turn around to watch this. “That’s right, I’m talking to you,” the little camo kid said. He was pointing at the honest panhandler. The mom was mortified. She wasn’t speaking. The panhandler didn’t say a word either and looked quite surprised. “Mom, I tried to say hi to him, and he just ignored me.”
The light changed, and the little lighted man on the crosswalk sign said we had about 27 seconds to cross the street. The mom grabbed her kids and crossed, leaving the panhandler on the corner. They didn’t give him any beer money.
Then I hear the cute little boy in camouflage shorts say, “Hey, hey, I tried to say hi to you and you ignored me.” I turn around to watch this. “That’s right, I’m talking to you,” the little camo kid said. He was pointing at the honest panhandler. The mom was mortified. She wasn’t speaking. The panhandler didn’t say a word either and looked quite surprised. “Mom, I tried to say hi to him, and he just ignored me.”
The light changed, and the little lighted man on the crosswalk sign said we had about 27 seconds to cross the street. The mom grabbed her kids and crossed, leaving the panhandler on the corner. They didn’t give him any beer money.
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