This Just Can't Be Summer Love ...

The heat can make people do some crazy things. Combine that with a little bit of love at first sight, plus  the every day interesting things that happen on the bus, and here's what happens ...

At a stop on the way home the other day, a girl was trying to get on the bus, but the guy walking beside her apparently was trying to change her mind by talking to her and blocking her way. When they finally got to the door of the bus, everyone could hear the conversation.

"Dude! This is my bus! I need to get on here!". He reluctantly moved so she could get on. But he wasn't done yet. She sat down at a seat in front and he got on the bus.

"Just ... Just .. Hold on a sec. Can I just talk to you for a minute?".


The bus driver interrupted. "Your fare please." 


The guy did the self pat down, and of course he had no fare. "Hold on, hold on  ... "


"Buddy! I gotta go home. Just go!"

Again the driver interjects. "Do you want him on here?"

I thought it was obvious, but I guess the driver just wanted to be sure. The girl immediately said no,  so the driver told him to get off the bus. The guy stepped out slowly, and walked along the side of the bus, looking through the windows at the girl, who now sat looking at the floor, laughing and shaking her head in disbelief.

"Oh my god, do you believe that guy?" she said to the passengers beside her as the bus finally started to move. She must have been glad that was over, having a little laugh to herself.

But then like a low budget version of a Terminator movie, it still wasn't over. Some passengers started laughing and pointing. What was this? The guy was running along the sidewalk, in and out of pedestrians - chasing the bus as we slowly picked up speed. This guy was determined! Soon he was left behind of course.

But was he? A couple of stops later, someone says, "What the? There he is again!" This was crazy at this point. Fueled by infatuation, he somehow managed to catch up to the bus. The girl tried to tell the driver not to let him on, but before she could, he got on, now visibly sweating and out of breath.

Swallowing a gulp of air, hands on his knees, he finally managed to get some words out as he looked around.

"Where is she?" He was obviously disoriented, as she was sitting a few feet away from where he stood. But of course, we bus riders stick together. No one was going to say a word. On top of that, we just wanted to get home. With no answer from anyone, he did the universal downward swipe in the air to show that he'd finally decided to give up. He walked off of the bus, disappointed.

As for the girl, she seemed to take it all really well and just laughed about it.

Poor guy. He was love struck, and persistent, and probably a little buzzed. Don't worry man, you'll find yourself another summer love ...

The Smells on the Bus Go Round and Round

You knew it would eventually come up on Bussted. You could probably say its long overdue. 

Its the subject of foul odour when riding the bus. Most times the ride is fine. Just normal, everyday scents. But when certain people get on, that changes really quickly.

I'm lucky enough to work flexible hours at my job, but taking a bus after 9 a.m. comes with a price. 

Just before the bridge to downtown, there's a guy that gets on the bus who carries an almost indescribable odour. And he seems to always sit 1 or 2 seats away from me.

Imagine going for a 10k run in 30+ degrees weather in a turtleneck (no deodorant allowed!). When you finally finish, you douse yourself in chicken stock. Then you empty your spice rack onto the ground and roll around in all of the spices. That would be the best way I could describe this smell  If I didn't know better, I would guess that would be his daily routine.

To add to this, he's got a friend, who looks like he could possibly be his brother. Sometimes they get on the bus together, other times a stop apart. They both have the same odour, so it's a double dose of stank. I call these guys "the Stank Brothers".

The Stank Brothers don't look dirty. They're well kept guys, maybe just wearing track jackets, jeans, and clean white sneakers. You could be deceived by their appearance. But man, that smell!

And what is it with people leaving their house smelling like food? Good food scents usually don't translate into good body scents. I mean, steak and eggs in the morning smells great when its cooked, but that smell should not be on your skin. A shower or a quick wash up is nothing to be afraid of.

I need to get back to taking the early bus.

Birds of a Feather ...

Maybe I'm old school. It's no secret that I'm a fan of (good) hip hop music, but I just can't get down with some of the styles I see today. On the ride in the morning, I see this kid get on and sit down, wearing a black jacket with random shiny gold symbols all over it.

I think more of the new school hip hop gear is like that, but I could never personally rock that type of clothing, it's just not for me, but that's their personal choice, and they're confident enough to wear it. I mean, wouldn't their friends probably wear the same type of gear?

The answer to this question in this train of thought came soon enough.

A few stops later, another kid gets on the bus wearing an even more interesting jacket. This one had black, brown, and white squares, each featuring a different headline about the death of Tupac. I'll admit I don't mind a few Tupac songs. I was more of a Biggie fan, but I again, wouldn't want little pictures of Biggie with different news headlines all over my jacket.

The guy walks down the aisle and recognizes the shiny jacket guy, they chat for a bit and continue the ride. Enough writing though. You all know the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Holiday Blues?

Back from hiatus, bussted is here again for 2011. I plan on playing with the layout a bit, so I hope you don't mind.

One thing I really noticed recently is that people really don't like going to work after holidays. No newsflash, I know, but it is so obvious on that first bus ride after the holiday.

When I get on in the morning, there are just a few people, but it fills up pretty quick. On a normal day, there are conversations, music, etc... After a holiday, it would be hard to tell the difference between a bus full of death row inmates and a transit bus full of people on their way to work a 9 to 5. I mean it's silent. Eerily silent, such that the only sounds you hear are the humming of the bus engine, a few sniffles, and of course the occasional sigh. I've witnessed this a few times now; it takes about a day for things to get back to normal. It makes me wonder what's on people's minds. Were the holidays fun? Did things go horribly wrong? Did someone's aunt have a bit too much and go on a rant that was beyond embarrasing? My guess is the answer is yes for all of them. The bus ride will return to normal, with interesting sights and conversations. Until the next long weekend ...