Category Archives: transit culture

A mile (and more) in a bus chick’s shoes, part II

I have many, many pairs of shoes. This is not because I buy a lot of shoes. (In fact, I can’t remember the last time I shopped for footwear.) It is because my mother, the most stylish woman I have ever known, bought a lot of shoes, and when she tired of them, she handed them down to me. Many of these shoes I have given away, but some are too beautiful to part with. I wear them a couple of times a year, on special occasions, but most of the time, they sit in my closet, passed up in favor of my old standbys: heeled boots. The boots are professional, presentable, comfortable, and weather resistant. I have a black pair and a brown pair, and they work well with almost anything I decide to wear: jeans, slacks, even a skirt. What more could a bus chick ask for?

Every once in a while, though, on a regular, walking-intensive day, I have a hankerin’ to wear something a little more fun. You dig?

Enter Miranda.

My fellow TAC member, Miranda L., is young, professional, fashion-conscious, and a total bus chick. Last night, on the elevator ride to our monthly meeting, I noticed her shoes: cute, red, heeled Mary Janes–the kind of shoes I regret wearing after about 15 minutes of pavement time. According to Miranda, who’s certainly done her share of pavement time, these Mary Janes are actually comfortable.

Fellow bus chicks, behold:

Picture
Miranda, still smiling after a long day of walking
Picture
The Mary Janes, close up

I ain’t one to hawk products, but for those who want to know: They’re Aerosoles.

All she needs now is a pair of rubber taps…

And speaking of the 48…

From Auryn on Capitol Hill, a Craigslist “missed connection” to Seattle’s longest (and latest) bus route:

Dear Bus Route 48:

Let me preface this by saying that I love you. You know exactly what I need. When I lived in Greenlake and had those random appointments in the Central District, you were my savior. And you go right by Ezell’s Chicken! Score!

Remember that one time I was in Greenwood? I forget why I was there, but my friends called me to hang out with them at Teddy’s off Roosevelt. At first I thought “how the hell will I get there?” Then I remembered you. Because of you, I was able to hang out with my friends and get wasted.

Oh God, let’s not forget when I had to go to Golden Gardens for a volunteer event. You were spot on that day. Just what I needed.

[…]

Bus 48, you’re everything I need. You’re awesome in almost every way. You go everywhere! You connect people of varying economic and social backgrounds too! How noble! I really, really love you, please know this…

but, [expletive] can you please be on time? like ever?…

[…]

Read the rest here.

A lot like that Dear John letter last April, no? The route gets around.

Speaking of bus music…

DJ Sabzi and Emcee Geologic, chillin on the porch (photo credit: Gabriel Teodros)Way back in November, Seattle hip-hop duo Blue Scholars released their digital-only EP, Joe Metro (thanks for the heads up, Zac!). Last week, I finally got around to listening to the title track.

Love, love, love! This is a good song, and I’m not just saying that because it’s about the bus. Seattle OG Emcee Geologic is an excellent storyteller. He describes a ride on the 48 (aka forty-late), the perfect bus for a “Posse on Broadway”-style tour of the city, in a way that truly captures the flavor of the route.

Take six quarters out of the pocket
Drop it in the box
Hop the 48, off to pay homage
It stops often, I jot my observations, watchin’
Citizens walkin’ off of the Joe Metropolitan
Proletariats and wayward sons
With old Filipino men speakin’ in they native tongue
And the day is just begun
[…]
A brother in Girbauds in the back all alone
Marinatin’ in a pair of half-broken headphones
Muddled in rhymes
Same time begin to pen mine

He also reminds us of the good reasons to ride. A sample:

And I ponder if it’s time to save up and get a car
And pay for the gas that we’re takin’ from the war
I’d miss all the colorful faces
The spaces and places I’ve embraced…

Check the video if you’re of a mind. There’s a good shot of the 43 in the beginning, and lots of good shots of my (I mean our) city.

Did I mention that the beat is funky? Guess what’s going to be playing on the Schmipod (Bus Chick style: on repeat) for the entire month of February?

Bus chick preparedness, part II

Last week, Cat from Kirkland sent me this question:

I have no aspirations of becoming a bus chick. However, I’m in salary negotiations for a job in downtown Seattle, which means that I may become a bus chick within a couple of weeks ([commuting] from Kirkland to downtown). I’ve been obsessing about what type of bag to carry. I normally carry a laptop bag and a purse and sometimes a small lunch bag. But, with my new transportation situation, I need an all purpose bag. I dress up and wear heels to work every day. So, already I realize that I’ll need to carry an extra pair of shoes, as well…

So bus chick – tell me – how in the world am I gonna carry all of this stuff and still look presentable? I read your post about bags, but I need specifics. I need something durable, professional, waterproof, and cute.

Interesting timing, Cat. I’m on the hunt for a new bus chick bag as well, having discovered a pretty major flaw in the Tumi soft-sided briefcase I’ve been carrying for over a year. (The strap loosens and detaches after a long period of carrying it–even with only my light laptop and my wallet.)

Readers: Any suggestions for attractive, versatile, professional bus chick bags?

A side note: I do my best to avoid carrying an extra pair of shoes unless it’s absolutely necessary and instead look for shoes that are stylish and comfortable. In the winter, that generally means heeled boots (with heels that aren’t too thin or high, of course). Then again, my job does not require me to dress professionally, so I can get away with more casual attire than, say, an attorney could. Any downtown-office bus chick types with footwear suggestions?

“Is this seat taken?” (part II)

The PI’s Singled Out blog has a recent post about meeting people/finding dates on the bus.

In the hunt for my next job, “only a bus ride away” will be mandatory criteria in my list of wants. “Why?” you might ask. Well, besides the obvious environmental and traffic-relieving reasons, I want to ride the bus because I think that:

The bus is an untapped gold mine of potential dates with Seattle’s singles.

Well, hello!

Told you (many times, in fact) buses were sexy.

Transportation safety

Safety first!In my last post, I mentioned that Bus Nerd recently (last weekend, in fact) took a trip to Chicago. As is our custom, I “saw him off” by accompanying him on the bus ride to the airport. Unfortunately, Bus Nerd’s departing flight left at 11:30 PM, which meant, of course, that I’d miss the last 194 and would be returning home–after dark, no less–on its ugly steproute, the 174.

It’s not like me to be skittish about riding at night (I happen to love it, as long as I don’t have to wait at isolated stops or walk long distances), or for that matter, about any particular route. Sure, there are some routes I don’t care for, but I have yet to encounter one that inspires fear. And yet, for some reason I can’t name, last Thursday, I was feeling nervous about riding the 174 late at night, alone. (I choose to blame it on my condition, which makes me conspicuous, messes with my state of mind, prevents me from running–at least from running fast–and generally makes me feel like a big, waddling target.)

I decided to go, despite my misgivings. (What’s a minor case of nerves compared to a lovely, romantic bus tradition?) After I said goodbye to Bus Nerd, I joined the crowd of airport workers, returning travelers, smokers, and generally trife people waiting at the Seatac bus stop. Within minutes, I spotted a familiar face: none other than Mr. Clato Barnes, an elder at my church who also happens to work for TSA. Mr. Barnes lives in my neighborhood and was waiting for the 174, too. I didn’t say hi (wanted to let him read his paper in peace), but his presence helped me relax–and remember why I don’t fear buses, no matter what time of night I ride:

The folks riding with me may be strangers, but one of those strangers is an elder at someone’s church. Another is someone’s grandfather, neighbor, or best friend. Yes, there are occasionally troublemakers who make it less-than-pleasant to ride, but among my community of fellow passengers, I always feel safe.

Bus reading

Some of the many books I’ve seen folks reading on buses (and at stops) of late:

10,000 Splendid Suns

Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment

Clan of the Cave Bear (I’m ashamed to admit I read this when I was 12.)

The Color of Magic

Diatoms to Dinosaurs: The Size and Scale of Living Things

The Dispossessed (It’s been a minute since I’ve read Le Guin.)

Hamlet

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (times a bazillion)

Hackers and Painters

The Namesake

The Sun Also Rises

Witch Gate

I’m busy reading The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by the late Jane Jacobs. I just finished Mountains Beyond Mountains, an inspiring book (loaned to me, once again, by my friend Donna) that made me look forward to my bus rides–more than usual, that is–so I could get back to it already. It’s about Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health, and one of the most amazing human beings I’ve ever had the privilege to learn about. My next bus book will almost certainly be a novel. (I’ve earned it after three straight nonfiction selections.)

What’s your current bus read?

Back door!

On my way home the other day, a woman (who apparently needed to get off at 23rd & Union) waited until all the other passengers getting off at that stop had disembarked before moseying toward the back door and mumbling something inaudible in the general direction of the driver. The oblivious driver proceeded to pull away from the stop. “I want to get off,” she called out, louder this time. The bus kept moving. Before the driver had made it halfway down the block, she was screaming, “I want off! I want to get off!” at the top of her lungs. Thankfully, the driver pulled over and let her off. (My ears wouldn’t have survived the ride to Marion.)

Then, today, on my way to work, a man who got off at my stop asked for the back door so quietly (and for some reason, listlessly–it wasn’t that early), I’m surprised he heard himself. Like I said to Bus Nerd, who witnessed it with me, it was the weakest “back door” I have ever heard.

There’s something thrilling (and, for us shy types, at least, a little bit terrifying) about getting off at the back door. Will the driver notice you and open it automatically, or will you have to (gasp!) draw attention to yourself and your need to disembark? And will you be able to get the driver’s attention (along with everyone else’s), or will you find yourself stuck on board, embarrassed and forced to hoof it back to your original destination?

I’ve made something of a hobby of observing “back door” requests.

There is the casual, confident, open-sesame-style command of the experienced rider (Back door!), who never questions whether the request will be granted.

There is the red-faced, whispered entreaty (Back door?), the one that begs, “Please don’t look at me!” and apologizes for the inconvenience.

There is the polite request. (Back door, please.)

There is the shouted, indignant demand of the entitled. (Back door!)
(Subtext: “Do as I say, public servant!”)

There is the shouted, indignant, demand of the panicked. (Back door!)
(Subtext: “Didn’t you hear me? Please don’t drive away yet!”)

My favorite “back door” of all time, though, was by young man (who was actually trying to get on the bus) at Montlake several months ago. He stood in front of the closed doors, resigned, and muttered (more to those of us lined up behind him than to the driver), “Back door, dude.”