Had it not been for these tire chains, I think the majority of Metro buses would have been almost on time yesterday and today. Instead, they must travel at a maximum speed of, I believe, 45 or 50 mph on the freeway. I say "I believe" because on Monday morning, my Express driver probably topped out at 35 mph, while SoundTransit flies around, ends of the chains lashing the coach, at about 60 mph.
Those chains are bumpy and loud. BAMBAMVrrrrooomBAMBAMBAM. My bus rides have been very long and loud.
Monday had all the potential to be a hellish bus day filled with blog material. But it wasn't. It was a holiday and a snow day, but nothing. A few Express buses do run on some holidays, and my main originating point isn't on the Snow Route. So I got an early Express bus. There were probably six other people on it.
I think the best part of the day was realizing Metro was only charging $2.25 for two zones because of Holiday fare. Normally it's $3.00 in the morning and $2.25 at night.
On the Monday afternoon Express bus home, a woman in the articulation diagonally across from me had gotten on the bus after work. We'll call her Tia. Tia Maria. Tia had stopped by Qdoba Mexican Grill and gotten a giant burrito and a small soda. She wolfed down half of it, and then decided to make a phone call. Apparently she was put on hold, but that's okay. She continued picking at the remaining burrito (which did look really good) with her dirty bus hands until she started dozing off.
So, Tia's on the phone. In her phone hand, she's holding a small Post-It with a phone number on it. She's holding a half eaten burrito in the other hand, two purses are draped across her lap, and her small fountain drink is propped between the seat rail and her winter coat. It was like watching a very tired, hungry octopus. Tia must be an amazing admin assistant; her multitasking skills are impeccable. She's probably the mother of several small children.
She would wake up just long enough to pick at the burrito and get another bite. At one point, she dozed off and caught a big piece of lettuce on her bottom lip. She woke up, gave me a dirty look because I was watching her resting/eating/holding, and put her dinner away. She then licked the burrito off her fingers, one by one, and began her phone conversation. Other than the errant piece of lettuce, Tia Maria dropped nothing. Not even the call in the dead zone by Boeing Field.
I think, because I'm about to regale you with two days of bus rides, I'm going to bullet point the other highlights.
- My friend, who incidentally got stuck for like 9 hours on the bus last year during the snowstorm, texted me this morning. She was angry because her 192 never came (it vanished) and she had been waiting in the cold for a long time. When a 158 came by, it was standing room only. I rode a 158 as well, but mine was almost empty. Everyone was jammed on her bus and the 159 right in front of mine.
- This friend had brought along her Essential Inclement Weather Survival Backpack containing, among other essentials, a toothbrush and a change of work clothes. She brought along two days of food. She was good to go! If she remembered the alcohol, she gets an A+ for preparedness.
- Another friend on the Eastside waited for a bus out of Bellevue for well over an hour. She went to a bus stop, and a after a long time non-articulated shuttle picked them up and took them to a larger stop because of the Snow Route. She said each passenger who got on had to stop and ask the driver where they were going and why, even though the bus was clearly labeled. This wasted plenty of time and got them to the larger stop even later.
- A guy who was in the middle sideways-facing seats kept nodding off to sleep and hitting his head on the pole.
- A guy with a Thermos got on this morning across from the Kent RJC and sat in front of me. (I was in the back corner. He was in the back sideways-facing seats.) He greeted me, and I nodded in response. But that wasn't enough. He turned in his seat and stayed facing backwards, alternately looking outside and looking at me, obviously waiting for me to take my earbuds out so he could strike up a conversation. Ride the bus long enough and you can tell. I know his type. I'm not down with it. I had the iPod and the phone going. No time for chit chat.
- The afternoon Express vanished. I checked OneBusAway for kicks.
Express 7 mins away.
A few minutes later: Express 3 mins away. Sweet!
A few minutes later: Express 1 mins away. [Looks right, looks left]
I hit Refresh, and the Express isn't listed.
BAM! It was gone. Chains and all. Into thin air.
- A woman that I recognized from the earlier afternoon Express buses walked by me at the bus stop. Her words gave me a cold shiver. "Looks like that Express just vanished into thin air." She didn't smile after, so I don't think she's a blog reader. Yet.
- At the bus stop, also waiting for the missing Express bus, was MAIL HANDLER. He was noticably unhappy about waiting in the freezing temperature. I tried to take a pic of his jacket, but he was pacing and it turned out blurry. Plus, he would beat my ass if he caught me.
- A later Express bus picked us up. We clattered our way down I-5, chains whipping against dry, clear pavement.
- Once we arrived at Kent Station, the missing Express bus APPEARED. It came around the corner like a knight on a horse. A majestic yet tardy knight on a dirty, loud, green and orange horse. As it turns out, this Express goes to Federal Way, then back to Seattle to (presumably) pick us up, on to Kent, then to the station. Bad weather hit Federal Way early, so that's why it didn't come. There was an explanation for this one. It didn't disappear; it was just very late.
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