ok plz give me your solemn vow at this moment that if you are ever in new york city, taking public transportation, that you'll have a buddy. next thing i know, you'll be regaling me with tales of riding the A train from columbus circle to far rockaway.
I, too, nearly hyperventilated the first time I had to pull the cord on a U of I bus. I had terrible visions of the bus screeching to a halt, a la the train in Back To The Future Part III. Mindy and I had a hushed "You do it," "No YOU do it," argument for about four stops past ours until I just closed my eyes and pulled it. I almost peed myself in fear.
I'm glad I had that experience before dealing with city transportation, though, or I probably WOULD have peed myself. The amount of crazy up here is staggering. I have a permanent fear that some deluded soul is going to jump on the L tracks in front of me, or that a fight will break out, and during the tussle, I will get pushed over myself. How morbid is that?
I had terrible visions of the bus screeching to a halt, a la the train in Back To The Future Part III.
ahahhadlfks. natalie honestly the only part of the bus that i DID know how to work was the stop cord! but only b/c one of my mom's co-workers rode the bus for the first time a couple months ago and made a fool of herself NOT knowing what it was.
I HAVE NEVERENDING MORBID FEARS ABOUT TRAFFIC/TRAVELING/PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SO DO NOT FEEL BAD. today we passed an old crazy who was standing on the curb waving his hands around and i literally thought I HOPE HE DOESN'T FALL OVER b/c we would have RUN OVER HIM WITH THE BUS. wtf
i used to ride the bus a lot in philly and i usually had an instrument with me. like, my viola case sitting vertical between my legs, you know? and one time, some crazy looked at me and asked, "hey baby girl, what you got in there? a piano?"
and another time, i was sitting amongst a bunch of crazies having a conversation about what to call a sandwich that is typically made on a long bun with cheese, lunch meat, lettuce, etc. so as i'm getting off the bus, one of them yells at me, "WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?" and i say, "um, hoagie." and he says, "NAW! it's HAWGIE!"
hey, i don't know what your friending policy is but here i am anyway, asking for entry.
just give my journal a quick glance or something or maybe question me under torture but let know if we can be lj bffs ;)
oh and p.s. I spent a semester at UIUC this past academic year and the busses freaked me out. I think if you take a non-campus based route you can get on and off on every intersection corner. I know that's definitely on the one that goes to Walmart. Oh, and just give the bars a gentle push when you get to your stop and they should open.
Flagging down the busegliJune 5 2007, 18:31:18 UTC
Lindsey, I will impart to you the secret of getting the bus to stop!
First, do exactly what you did. Stand right next to the street where the bus stop sign is. Second, as the bus gets near, look for flashy yellow lights. If there are flashing lights, that means the bus is going to stop and you are done!
If the lights are not flashing than the bus is NOT going to stop. So you need to, THIRD, raise your arm in the air. Get it up! Be proud! You're riding the MTD!
At this point the lights should start flashing because the bus driver has seen you and will stop. If they have not, then it is time to panic! STEP FOUR! Wave your hands wildly! Jump up and down! Chase after the bus and don't let it get away!
Re: Flagging down the buslindseymarkelJune 5 2007, 18:37:57 UTC
asdlfj;alkj THANK YOU MARK!!
i knew that TECHNICALLY you're supposed to raise your arm to flag down the bus but i didn't know if it was, y'know, something you still had to do if you were basically clinging to the bus stop sign looking all O_O at the approaching bus.
i flagged down a bus this morning (the same one that passed me by yesterday) and they stopped for me, but when i got on the lady was like "UMMM if you want to take this line you need to stand across the street, because we take a left here so we need to be in the other lane." i was like OH OKAY! I WILL! THANK YOU!! and sat down. then she was immediately like "alright, now we'll just pick up this young man right here... SINCE HE'S WHERE HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE."
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I'm glad I had that experience before dealing with city transportation, though, or I probably WOULD have peed myself. The amount of crazy up here is staggering. I have a permanent fear that some deluded soul is going to jump on the L tracks in front of me, or that a fight will break out, and during the tussle, I will get pushed over myself. How morbid is that?
Reply
ahahhadlfks. natalie honestly the only part of the bus that i DID know how to work was the stop cord! but only b/c one of my mom's co-workers rode the bus for the first time a couple months ago and made a fool of herself NOT knowing what it was.
I HAVE NEVERENDING MORBID FEARS ABOUT TRAFFIC/TRAVELING/PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SO DO NOT FEEL BAD. today we passed an old crazy who was standing on the curb waving his hands around and i literally thought I HOPE HE DOESN'T FALL OVER b/c we would have RUN OVER HIM WITH THE BUS. wtf
Reply
and another time, i was sitting amongst a bunch of crazies having a conversation about what to call a sandwich that is typically made on a long bun with cheese, lunch meat, lettuce, etc. so as i'm getting off the bus, one of them yells at me, "WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?" and i say, "um, hoagie." and he says, "NAW! it's HAWGIE!"
the end.
Reply
A PIANO
asdfjlk; sara i keep laughing at this!!
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just give my journal a quick glance or something or maybe question me under torture but let know if we can be lj bffs ;)
oh and p.s. I spent a semester at UIUC this past academic year and the busses freaked me out. I think if you take a non-campus based route you can get on and off on every intersection corner. I know that's definitely on the one that goes to Walmart. Oh, and just give the bars a gentle push when you get to your stop and they should open.
Reply
First, do exactly what you did. Stand right next to the street where the bus stop sign is. Second, as the bus gets near, look for flashy yellow lights. If there are flashing lights, that means the bus is going to stop and you are done!
If the lights are not flashing than the bus is NOT going to stop. So you need to, THIRD, raise your arm in the air. Get it up! Be proud! You're riding the MTD!
At this point the lights should start flashing because the bus driver has seen you and will stop. If they have not, then it is time to panic! STEP FOUR! Wave your hands wildly! Jump up and down! Chase after the bus and don't let it get away!
Reply
i knew that TECHNICALLY you're supposed to raise your arm to flag down the bus but i didn't know if it was, y'know, something you still had to do if you were basically clinging to the bus stop sign looking all O_O at the approaching bus.
i flagged down a bus this morning (the same one that passed me by yesterday) and they stopped for me, but when i got on the lady was like "UMMM if you want to take this line you need to stand across the street, because we take a left here so we need to be in the other lane." i was like OH OKAY! I WILL! THANK YOU!! and sat down. then she was immediately like "alright, now we'll just pick up this young man right here... SINCE HE'S WHERE HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE."
asdfjkl;
CHASTISED ON MY SECOND DAY.
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