Never taking THAT route again (bus sighting)

[WishfulSpirit]

Hey everyone

Today I have to be at work about 20 minutes early so Night Audit can get home to her kids before her hubby leaves for his job. I'm happy to do it, but I woke up a bit late and checked the bus / train schedules. I usually take the train, but today I found that taking the bus would actually get me to work 20 minutes early without forcing me to rush too much.

Well that turned out to be a mistake. I try not to judge people, even those who have had significant problems, but today I saw what I can only describe as a waste of oxygen. For 20-25 minutes, this loud, scruffy guy across the aisle was calling his former SO a series of colorful names while bewailing that she'd gotten him "kicked out of the clinic" (methadone clinic, which, for those who don't know, is a place where they treat heroin addiction) for "snitching on him." "Snitching" implies he was doing something he shouldn't have, but then he goes on to (loudly) proclaim he WASN'T selling drugs on that corner and she "had no right to call the cops." Yeah, sure, you're the picture of innocence. The world is persecuting you for no reason.

Worst part was I couldn't get away. This guy was so upset that I was afraid to change seats lest he turn his invective on me for daring not to be enthralled with his personal problems, and I didn't have my headphones, so I ignored him as best I could while keeping my hand on my pepper spray.

I do hope he manages to get the help he needs, which would include a major epiphany about personal responsibility. But I don't ever want to be around him in the meantime. If that means getting up half an hour earlier and getting the 5:30 train instead of the 5:50 one, so be it.

[KellyHabersham]

I know the feeling.....used to be several bus routes that I was hesitant to take because of the caliber of riders the said routes seemed to attract. Although with me, it was mostly getting hit on by guys who didn't speak English that well.

[cindybubbles]

My experience with public transit seems OK. One of the subway stations even has a McDonald's with (maybe) half of the seating area inside the fare-paid zone (or so I've heard) so that people can get off the train, get something to eat, sit down and eat and get back on the train without paying an extra fare!

One of my worst experiences has to do with urine. Maybe they're just homeless and don't have regular access to a toilet, or maybe it's worse, but the smell of urine has made me change seats every time I smell it. It sometimes even lingers on after the person has left.

[WishfulSpirit]

Some other denizens of the Mile High City have pointed out that <certain route number> is where you learn the good Spanish they don't teach you in school.

[Food Lady]

My worst problem is the people that don't realize how ear-splittingly loud they are (special needs people, for lack of a better term) or the handsome older man who keeps trying to talk to me (because I'm kind of involved with someone else but this guy has class..and did I mention handsome?).

[FenigDurak]

Some other denizens of the Mile High City have pointed out that <certain route number> is where you learn the good Spanish they don't teach you in school.

I got scolded in my high school Spanish class for just this reason. I routinely took the 92 to school, but the weekends saw me jaunting about town on the 21 and the 6. All that trial by fire Spanish is making it hard to learn Japanese now.

[Mr Hero]

If we live in the same city, I haven't heard much Spanish on the 21. I'm going to a guess that the street of the route where you learn the more interesting Spanish is the street famous for its "street vendors" who rent out their "services".

[WishfulSpirit]

Yep, Mr Hero, we are indeed in the same city, and I'm talking about the 15L. It does go down That Street but also by several of the social services offices, so you have the same interesting mix you always get when welfare recipients are involved (and I have no problem with them as a group...used to be one, and plenty of them are the kindest and most generous people you'll ever meet, but some of them are, erm, interesting). I won't ride that route anymore after having been around several people who apparently don't know what showers are.