bikes on buses
I took the bus home for lunch today and got to ride with the cool bus driver -- when I rode more regularly he recognized me at the mall once and told me about some awesome Jamaican seasoning blend they were selling.
At the noon hour there are a lot more regulars, since there are fewer people on the bus overall, and as people got on and off the bus a few people would switch in and out of the seats closest to the driver's seat to talk to him. The first guy was talking about his new bike, and how he had spent money on a nice bike, but how it would all work out in the end with gas prices being so high. He and the driver debated the finer points of how expensive of a bike you could get before you wouldn't be able to break even, and whether expensive bikes were worth it. (I noticed a new Fuji on the front of the bus when I got on, so maybe that was the bike in question.)
That conversation was followed by a new passenger in the front seat, a retired woman who volunteers at her church, and so the conversation switched from bikes to church activities. The driver is somehow involved in the music program at his church, where I understand music is a Big Deal, and they spend a lot of time rehearsing. Passengers often ask about the music group, and I think they even are broadcast on local TV or radio. I've heard they're quite good -- I should check them out some time.
Then passenger #3 moved up to the front. She was pleased to tell the driver that she'd recently found a job. From her voice, it seemed like finding this job was a relief to her. She explained how she got to work, by taking the local bus to the regional line, and then riding her bike from the regional bus stop to care for an elderly couple in their home. She looked tired, but definitely glad to have found a job and figured out a way to get there that was cheaper than driving.
Another slice of life, another day trying to get to work and back, and deal with rising gas prices, and everything else, but also a chance to share a bit of the journey together. Cool bus driver is the best!
At the noon hour there are a lot more regulars, since there are fewer people on the bus overall, and as people got on and off the bus a few people would switch in and out of the seats closest to the driver's seat to talk to him. The first guy was talking about his new bike, and how he had spent money on a nice bike, but how it would all work out in the end with gas prices being so high. He and the driver debated the finer points of how expensive of a bike you could get before you wouldn't be able to break even, and whether expensive bikes were worth it. (I noticed a new Fuji on the front of the bus when I got on, so maybe that was the bike in question.)
That conversation was followed by a new passenger in the front seat, a retired woman who volunteers at her church, and so the conversation switched from bikes to church activities. The driver is somehow involved in the music program at his church, where I understand music is a Big Deal, and they spend a lot of time rehearsing. Passengers often ask about the music group, and I think they even are broadcast on local TV or radio. I've heard they're quite good -- I should check them out some time.
Then passenger #3 moved up to the front. She was pleased to tell the driver that she'd recently found a job. From her voice, it seemed like finding this job was a relief to her. She explained how she got to work, by taking the local bus to the regional line, and then riding her bike from the regional bus stop to care for an elderly couple in their home. She looked tired, but definitely glad to have found a job and figured out a way to get there that was cheaper than driving.
Another slice of life, another day trying to get to work and back, and deal with rising gas prices, and everything else, but also a chance to share a bit of the journey together. Cool bus driver is the best!