Bus Commuting

There is a lot of talk lately about the Seattle Metro Bus system and the budget; cutting routes, giving fees to King County car owners, etc. I am a bus commuter. I walk a little under a mile to my closest bus stop and it makes a 20 minute commute a 45 minute commute (which isn't bad, from some of the stories I have heard).

I love my bus ride. Though it adds thorough inconvenience to my job (a responder doesn't always get to have a regular schedule) it is also a convenient excuse to be "alone" with my thoughts, or, as is the current case, finish a good audio-book. I absolutely cannot read the old-fashioned way when I ride, as it makes me quite sick. I used to be able to do it, but I don't know if it is my new migraine meds, my old age or my insomnia....I just can't anymore, I MUST look out and about.

Anyway, I am currently listening to the audio-recording of Les Miserables, and I am hooked. I never saw the movie, the live production, listened to the soundtrack or read the book before and so I am a Les Mizzz virgin popping the proverbial cherry in 45-min increments every morning and afternoon.

I do think that every once and a while, I should publish a post about my bus rides on here. There is always something humorous to observe...it is people-watching in the best possible sense; not the clean-cut mall or airport people, the bus offers a plethora of the salt-of-the-earth types. From your every-day business persons to crazies having conversations with themselves to some of the greatest over-heard cell-phone conversations ever.

Example from a month-ish ago: Girl on phone "Well, I'm on my way to see my parole officer. (pause). Uh-uh, I just got back from there. (pause). HAHAHAHA (toddler pulls on her purse) oh, hang on....Here mom (hands toddler across the aisle). Ok, I'm back."

And then there are the rude people, the bus-stop people, the dog-owners....Oh, great stuff.

Please, Seattle, don't get rid of my route! Charge all those damn car-owners a fee (I'm one of them, soooo) so I can continue to steal an hour and a half of me-time five days a week.