At each stop the bus makes, take time to write. Let the scenes around you be your prompts. Do you see any graffiti that catches your eye? Can you imagine where the last rider might be going and why? What are you leaving behind? What are you thinking as the bus lurches forward towards another destination?
Driver makes a phone call to dispatcher because there is a fire truck and ambulance in middle of road. Can we make it around? We’re turning around! We just about hit a car because he had to go around us! We have been on the bus for 30 minutes and have ventured only 2 miles from our initial pick-up spot.
I see a flag and a parking lot. One lady gets off alone. We experience the drivers break in which you wait for it to be over. Our second stop takes us back to our starting point. Nearly killed two people and hurt two cars. Then we run into an EMS truck. There is also a fire truck. The driver must make a call because the bus cannot fit through the road. We could be here for a while. We have decided to back down the road. This could be a scary experience. There are rude drivers who can’t wait five seconds for the bus to move.
I am leaving behind a lot of frustration-TRAFFIC was horrible today and I missed the bus, so I am sitting outside waiting for my class to arrive. I see…
-lots of college students with short sleeves, backpacks walking with Ipods.-people walking and smoking and it makes me think-what a nasty habit. I hate the smell of cigarette smoke. -Really annoying and loud cars always in a hurry to go somewhere. People driving and texting/talking on their cell phones while trying to drive. -I smell taco’s and it makes me super hungry. -I see people running down 4th ave for exercise. This makes me wonder, “I wouldn’t run unless something was chasing me.” -I hear a lawnmower and it is annoying. It seems like everything is annoying me today. Wow! 2 more days until Spring Break! I cannot wait.
I see a building that says “Frank Rivas, M.D. Heart Specialist” and it makes me wonder why the building is so clean and looks as if it is used and yet I never see anyone there. I always see their parking lot chained. I hear a weedeater and it is also annoying. I guess I am just in a poopy mood today. I see lots of sketchy people walking by. I hope i don’t get mugged. With a day like today… I would surely by my luck. I see a bird flying. I see people driving by glaring at me and it makes me want to give them the bird. I see lots of buses, when will my class arrive? Wow, I see the same jogger jogging back. I wonder where they went. If it was me, I would be jogging to the ice-cream store. Wow, now a leaf blower-even more annoying.
First of all people looking at us like we are crazy asking them to write on the bus. I am thinking that we are on the wrong side of the street as the bus lurches towards us! Forth’s foods is a new place for me. I think the last rider was going to work. Guy with crutches refuses to move. Ambulance and firetruck-can’t get through. Making a phone call to dispatcher-he is thinking what do I do now? We are now backing up on a street. Who knows what is behind us, what a skilled driver. What a jerk, some jerk off just was to important to stop and wait until we were straightened out. Going to Cabell Huntington to the bus stop. Project to the right of pass daily transfer to another bus.
The bus trip began with Mandy running and then the rest of us running..after her. The passengers on the bus are definitely looking at us like we are new… I don’t think they know what to think of us! There are 4 other passengers on the bus…make that 5 now. We are all clustered in the back, and I am now watching a blinking ambulance blocking our path down the hill. Our driver waits patiently for the excitement to die down. The whole bus smells like Kelly’s antibacterial soap which smells amazing. I am a rookie bus rider, I think our driver may have suspected this, considering I had no idea where to put my bus money-or how much it is to ride. Our bus driver has made the executive decision to back out of the street we were parked on. It’s something that requires skillful maneuvering- I don’t think I could do it in my Honda. We also almost just got hit by a car who decided they couldn’t wait to get around us. The excitement continues…. We are now on the bus traveling home. There is one passenger who is actually writing with us! We have taken pictures, exchanged journals, and class is almost at an end. I’m going to miss our meetings! I hope that eventually I will be accepted and participate in the National Writing Project!
I am out of breath as a plunk myself down in the seat on the bus. We weren’t sure where the bus would pick us up so we raced across the street to jump on the bus. Thankfully I survived seeing as how I almost walked out in front of all the oncoming cars as we jay walked! So far along the ride.. we got on the wrong bus; we had to sit for the bus drivers short break, ride through the whole town of Huntington, and now we sit (patiently) behind and ambulance and firetruck. (I hope everyone is ok) I am sitting beside a beautiful white picket fence surrounded by vibrant yellow flowers. To top it off there is the perfectly cute white swing in the yard. It looks so peaceful. It makes me crave summer and love spring.
I had grapes for lunch, I’m starving! You get breaks as a bus driver? That is nice. All the stopping and starting makes me sick. Where are we going? I wonder what the other riders think of us? I think a bus ride would be a great field trip for kids, think of all the things you could talk about. We are stuck because of an ambulance and firetruck, I wonder what happened? I don’t like going backwards anymore than I like going forward! Driver did amazing! My hunger has officially turned to nauseousness.
It all began as Mandy ran across the street in order to flag down the TTA. We then saved Theresa from getting hit by a car as she eagerly ran toward the bus. Once we were loaded we took our seats, learning all the ins and outs fro a lady in a purple shirt who happened to be a regular. Oh yeah, Mandy was almost run over by a truck before loading the TTA. After we were on our way, we thought we were going to hit a car and run two boys down, one of which was o crutches. As we topped the hill after our near human collision, we were detained as an ambulance and fire truck blocked the path to our destination. While we waited, a police officer arrived. To our disappointment he was only dropping someone off at their house, not adding to the drama. As we backed up, our hearts were gripped with fear, praying that we didn’t hit the man in his broken down car directly beside of us, get hit head on by on-coming traffic cresting the hall we were backing away from, and nearly backing into a jerk in a red car that went around the bus as it was backing up. Now that we’re finally in forward motion, there is a collective release of breath. We’d been holding it during the whole back-up experience. After we circled Cabell Huntington Hospital’s parking lot, we almost hit some pedestrians walking to their cars. Shortly after getting out onto Hal Greer we were informed by the driver that we would have to be transferred to another bus. That was music to our ears, because Chili Wilis is right next to the bus station. After a few more “close calls’ with parked vehicles we arrived in front of Chili Willis. Nauseated, overheated, and on nerve, we got off the bus, eager to be on solid ground and headed toward food.
Red light, green light. Life is so busy. It is sort of nice to just sit with the cold air blowing and trust someone else to take me to the next destination. It won’t be my fault if I’m late. Although I’m sure those who ride the bus- who don’t have the luxury of having their own car don’t like the lack of independence. I wonder if people here choose sometimes to ride the bus-regardless of money-maybe they just go to work and back and there is a convenient bus route. I really would miss WV, all of the hills green trees are semi-enchanting. Being stuck is sort of like the guy on crutches-limited mobility is it sad that slow seems attractive to me at the moment? You must be on time, but you must be flexible enough to be late–the bus motto.