Since we've spoken alot has occured, but I had to tell you about this one incident. So it's no secret that I'm half Baltimorian and half New Yorker. In New York when the bus is full we move to the back. The bus driver does not leave the stop until you do. Okay Baltimore I love you but join the program. Just because the back of the bus is higher does not mean you don't have to move back, We All Want To Get To Work!!! Anyway the bus is full to the front, like people on the front steps of the bus, and this rare bus driver stops for me, they usually pass me by. Wooohhhooo! I am determined to fit.
So I start to move to the back of the bus with all my luggage, y'all know I have to be prepared, I have my change of clothes for my bible meeting in one bag, my lunch in another, my purse on my arm and my book bag on my back. I say excuse me and this little boy doesn't want to move so I push pass. "Yo YO Yo YOOO, Shawwty you oughtta be glad you a chic else." Okay if you know me at all by now I have a big mouth, so in turn I say, " Else what you would've fought me, is that what you want to do fight me." "Well I'm just saying if you weren't a chic I would have". "Please boy you ain't about to do nothing, ain't nobody scared of you, I'll tell you what you are going to do have a wonderful day, this little incident means nothing, where I'm from everyone moves back!" "Well down here you can get hurt for bumping someone like that" " Boy please I'm from here to right down the hill, you will be ok, this won't mean nothing to you in a few, besides there are enough black men in jail already" He just sighs.
I mean am I wrong, these little kids always trying to talk tough, get out of here, no one is scared of you. Move to the back so everyone can get to work, put a smile on your miserable face and keep it moving. Really people, we don't own the bus we share it with others, DO YOU FEEL ME?
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Stripper?????
I left school at about 2pm and caught the 22 where I transfer to the 8 on York Rd. While on the number 8 3 people are speaking of the 5 strip clubs that burned down. Wow, 5 strip clubs burned down and "the block", as the part of Baltimore St. with the strip clubs is referred to, has been shut down for the whole week.
I had no idea, I immediately think of my cousin who is a Bouncer outside of one of the strip clubs on "the block". I call him to make sure he still has a job. Meanwhile, everyone around me is listening in. "Hey I just heard some strip clubs burned down is your job ok", I ask my cousin and he replies, "Nah it was the one's across the street I'm good but it's shut down so I've been getting better with this flu I have." I'm so happy he has a job he just got it and we all need to work. But he goes on to speak and tell me how he's doing some side work, so I say, "OOOOhhhh side work, come over my house and do some please". "Well what do you need done", he asks, "Ummh just my vanity, no also rake the leaves, clean out the shop vac, sand and paint downstairs, a window is broken, and my pictures hung."
All of a sudden the 2 women and man around me bust out laughing, " You want a stripper to do all that. Girl you started out with a vanity and then you named everything under the kitchen sink." They were all cracking up. I started laughing to and told them that it wasn't a stripper that he was a bouncer outside, and they were like that is so funny we just knew you were talking to a stripper. So they said, "Baby you gonna have to cough up more than twenty dollars", and I said, "I know I realize after I mentioned the vanity, which I thought was going to be the only thing, and my list continued that I would probably have to give him more". And the lady said, "Well baby as long as you getting it done", then she started laughing again to herself mumbling stripper under her breath.
These people were all in my conversation and I didn't mind. It was funny though. Can you imagine a stripper doing all of these things. A handyman by day and a stripper by night, the the thought was so funny I just had to join them in the laughter. Boy do I love my City, and this surely brightened my day.
Next Stop... Regester Ave.
I had no idea, I immediately think of my cousin who is a Bouncer outside of one of the strip clubs on "the block". I call him to make sure he still has a job. Meanwhile, everyone around me is listening in. "Hey I just heard some strip clubs burned down is your job ok", I ask my cousin and he replies, "Nah it was the one's across the street I'm good but it's shut down so I've been getting better with this flu I have." I'm so happy he has a job he just got it and we all need to work. But he goes on to speak and tell me how he's doing some side work, so I say, "OOOOhhhh side work, come over my house and do some please". "Well what do you need done", he asks, "Ummh just my vanity, no also rake the leaves, clean out the shop vac, sand and paint downstairs, a window is broken, and my pictures hung."
All of a sudden the 2 women and man around me bust out laughing, " You want a stripper to do all that. Girl you started out with a vanity and then you named everything under the kitchen sink." They were all cracking up. I started laughing to and told them that it wasn't a stripper that he was a bouncer outside, and they were like that is so funny we just knew you were talking to a stripper. So they said, "Baby you gonna have to cough up more than twenty dollars", and I said, "I know I realize after I mentioned the vanity, which I thought was going to be the only thing, and my list continued that I would probably have to give him more". And the lady said, "Well baby as long as you getting it done", then she started laughing again to herself mumbling stripper under her breath.
These people were all in my conversation and I didn't mind. It was funny though. Can you imagine a stripper doing all of these things. A handyman by day and a stripper by night, the the thought was so funny I just had to join them in the laughter. Boy do I love my City, and this surely brightened my day.
Next Stop... Regester Ave.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
White and Black
" Yeah girl, Nah, that's what I did I went right down there and told them I was homeless. Girl please they don't know, yeah you gotta do what you gotta do, that's how I got my bus pass and my furniture. Nah for real you gotta do it ." Ok it is real out here. This is the conversation of the lady next to me. Wow!
We never know what someone is going through. Not only someone, but based on the voice I heard I assumed I was listening to a black woman. No honey, she is white. Baltimore has such an extremely vast population of poor whites. Yes, you do not see this in NYC, but that's why I used to tell my friends up there to not be impressed with white people or what you think their lives are like because there are some who are worse off than us and just as poor. In Baltimore, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennesse, etc you will see white like you've never seen it before. I don't say this because I'm prejudice but because every culture has there secrets, and sometimes we think that it is only in the African American Community, no it's not so. Our secrets may have the spot light but we are not the only culture with them.
So please remember if you ever find yourself on the bus, that it's not just you it's everyone on the bus trying to make it and all cultures... Next Stop.
We never know what someone is going through. Not only someone, but based on the voice I heard I assumed I was listening to a black woman. No honey, she is white. Baltimore has such an extremely vast population of poor whites. Yes, you do not see this in NYC, but that's why I used to tell my friends up there to not be impressed with white people or what you think their lives are like because there are some who are worse off than us and just as poor. In Baltimore, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennesse, etc you will see white like you've never seen it before. I don't say this because I'm prejudice but because every culture has there secrets, and sometimes we think that it is only in the African American Community, no it's not so. Our secrets may have the spot light but we are not the only culture with them.
So please remember if you ever find yourself on the bus, that it's not just you it's everyone on the bus trying to make it and all cultures... Next Stop.
Are you kidding me?
I was over it. No smiling on the bus on this day. Don't say a word to me because I'm not feeling it at all. It's cold, I'm hungry, I don't feel like working, and I want to get in the bed, and on top of all of that my back hurts from this back pack.
Then as I get on the bus the driver says, "NOOONNOOOONOOO UUUHHH UUUHHh you gonna break the machine you don't do it like that", mind you I've been doing the same thing on every bus sticking it in the slot where it automatically pops back up instead of sliding it through the reader. He continues, "YOu could break it and I'm not trying to have my bus broken", first of all let me state I've been trying to be a good bus rider polite and friendly, but mister let me tell you this is not the day. I quickly said, " I do this on every bus", he says," well I'm sorry no one told you it was wrong," I think, dude I've all ready done it the card has popped back up fine and counted me as a rider let me go. So I swipe my card his way to shut him up, he was so loud, the whole bus is looking at me, "ok calm down now breathe its going to be ok" I say and I walk away. I felt a little bad after, but shoot don't try to embarass me on this bus off of something so minor because you know someone on the bus who's talking to you. Please Mister, TODAY IS NOT THE DAY.
Next stop please before I let them know what it really is....
Then as I get on the bus the driver says, "NOOONNOOOONOOO UUUHHH UUUHHh you gonna break the machine you don't do it like that", mind you I've been doing the same thing on every bus sticking it in the slot where it automatically pops back up instead of sliding it through the reader. He continues, "YOu could break it and I'm not trying to have my bus broken", first of all let me state I've been trying to be a good bus rider polite and friendly, but mister let me tell you this is not the day. I quickly said, " I do this on every bus", he says," well I'm sorry no one told you it was wrong," I think, dude I've all ready done it the card has popped back up fine and counted me as a rider let me go. So I swipe my card his way to shut him up, he was so loud, the whole bus is looking at me, "ok calm down now breathe its going to be ok" I say and I walk away. I felt a little bad after, but shoot don't try to embarass me on this bus off of something so minor because you know someone on the bus who's talking to you. Please Mister, TODAY IS NOT THE DAY.
Next stop please before I let them know what it really is....
Rep Where You're From
Ok when is the last time you were on a bus with the kids of today? Well I just had this experience. Interestingly, you don't know whether to be afraid for your life or laugh. Funny is not the word. Like these kids are really proud of their neighborhoods. It's like some type of local patriotism. I guess it shows they take an interest in their environment. All I heard was a bunch of dudes repping, or representing their hoods, "Yo that's them Cherry Hill Ni88as right there yo let's get them Ni88as, they not about it anyway, let's jump them Ni88as yo", and then the retort, " Whateva Nig88s we Cherry Hill all day son what it is, Yo Brandon they saying we pussies yo, they saying we can't handle ourselves, what you wanna do son," and Brandon says, "I don't have nothing to do with those Ni88as they don't mean anything to me", and the retort, " Yeah that's cause we Park Heights all day, y'all Chery Hill Y'all can't f88k wit us."
This went on for the rest of the bus ride until I got off. Now in my mind I didn't know whether to be proud they knew the name of their neighborhood or afraid that something was going to actually pop off. It seemed like some type of play or game between them. I mean they all got on the bus together just fine and they were laughing, but you never know. You have to be careful because I've learned what starts out as fun can quickly turn into chaos. So I got off at my stop and said a quick prayer that no more black men went to jail once I got off and continued my journey, got to love the children.
Next stop...
This went on for the rest of the bus ride until I got off. Now in my mind I didn't know whether to be proud they knew the name of their neighborhood or afraid that something was going to actually pop off. It seemed like some type of play or game between them. I mean they all got on the bus together just fine and they were laughing, but you never know. You have to be careful because I've learned what starts out as fun can quickly turn into chaos. So I got off at my stop and said a quick prayer that no more black men went to jail once I got off and continued my journey, got to love the children.
Next stop...
I think she's Mad
Last Tuesday I rode the 44 bus to my bible meeting. It was around 7pm when the bus pulled up. As we drove along the bus made its usual stop but the usual is not what got on the bus. "Where they at the North Carolina B*****s, What about the Georgia B*****s, Where else they from D.C, Tennessee, Where else the H*** they from", this lady is screaming this at the top of her lungs. Mad is what I thought she was but quickly realized I was wrong. She continued shouting this at the man who was on the bus with her and at every passenger who got on or left the bus. She was definitely insane. Honestly you couldn't tell who she was yelling at.
Like somebody would walk on the bus and she'd look right at them and say, " You North Carolina B88888s, what you looking at, M9999r F8888rs, always want something that's not your's". Whoa, the language was off the chain and she's talking to strangers. She looked like Celie from the color purple. Big braids sporadically placed all over her head, her eyes were large. The type of eyes that looked like they'd seen it and been through it all and never had they been dignified. She and this man touched my heart. He looked as if he'd done no wrong and that he just loved this crazy woman. He tried to shush her but she just wouldn't stop. I couldn't tell if she was just insane and wronged or just plain crazy. The compassion in this man's eyes seemed as if he'd never done any wrong, as if he just wanted to help her through her episode.
Looking at this couple I realize that the bus is not only eventful and something to write about, but it's also a way of life for many. Who am I to blog about this as if I am the only one who is Humble, Bus ridden, and Carless, but I figure if I don't tell the story who will.
Next Stop.....
Like somebody would walk on the bus and she'd look right at them and say, " You North Carolina B88888s, what you looking at, M9999r F8888rs, always want something that's not your's". Whoa, the language was off the chain and she's talking to strangers. She looked like Celie from the color purple. Big braids sporadically placed all over her head, her eyes were large. The type of eyes that looked like they'd seen it and been through it all and never had they been dignified. She and this man touched my heart. He looked as if he'd done no wrong and that he just loved this crazy woman. He tried to shush her but she just wouldn't stop. I couldn't tell if she was just insane and wronged or just plain crazy. The compassion in this man's eyes seemed as if he'd never done any wrong, as if he just wanted to help her through her episode.
Looking at this couple I realize that the bus is not only eventful and something to write about, but it's also a way of life for many. Who am I to blog about this as if I am the only one who is Humble, Bus ridden, and Carless, but I figure if I don't tell the story who will.
Next Stop.....
Monday, November 29, 2010
Onions OMG
Ok so I have this awful catch 22 situation. I had a weekly pass that expired Saturday and my monthly pass doesn't start until Wednesday, so what is a girl to do? Get a nasty bus driver. Yes lord. This woman was like, "Uh huh guess you'll be paying $1.60". In my head I did and said alot but I simply smiled and said, "I guess you're right and laughed". If you can't beat them join them right. I was $.15 cents short and this nice woman gave it to me, again the community I love it, and so then I put all of my quarters, dimes, and nickels, and almost pennies lol, into the coin slot. Then as I asked her how to purchase a daily pass, which let me tell you is not as convenient as NYC, she exclaimed, " What were you eating onions or something", me, "Yes I love them", bus lady, "Uh well I don't God I hate them", I think well at least she doesn't hide how she feels. So I took my stinky breath and all my luggage to my seat. Where I was quickly called back up by the bus driver to pick up a bag I'd dropped. Yes ladies and gentleman your's truly had the floor on the bus.
Anyway I've been through it all and I will not let this daily pass stop my day. So the nice lady who gave me the $.15 cents told me where to get a daily pass. Ok I its my stop, Greenmount and 33rd, I don't see it. I continue walking, I ask, "Do you know where I can get a daily", "No" he says. "Excuse me do you know where I can get a daily", "Yes baby go two stores down to the liquor store". Great into the liquor store I go. "Excuse me how much are your daily bus passes", "Ahwhat we no havy no bussy passes heayur" the Korean guy exclaims, should've known. I give up where's the atm, yes an MandT atm no fee for me. So I take out $20.00, then I go into the slowest Rite Aid in the world. Yes, you know the one hit by the recession with one cashier and of course the line is 3 people long and might as well be 15 people long by the way its moving. And of course they are having a sale on alcohol so all the holics are there lined up with there bottles making sure that they are getting the correct price, and their cigarettes. O I just need to buy this foil so that I can break my twenty and get on the bus. Finally my turn. She Gives me my change one ten dollar bill, one five dollar bill, and 3 ones, but I need $.50. "O", she says, "I can't give you any change because I closed my drawer you are going to have to wait for the next customer". There aren't any, its just me, ahhhhhhh. Ok that last part happened in my head. Then, "If you hurry up and go over there she can give you some", I go running like a slave who almost reaches victory. Yessa Yessa Ize a Comin. Finally, I have the $.50. And if it couldn't get worse, it didn't.
The bus was right outside, and you know that song by Alanis Morrisette, Isn't it Ironic, well guess what, big orange sign on top of where I would put my $3.50 that says not working. Lord help me and you know what's next....
Next Stop...
Anyway I've been through it all and I will not let this daily pass stop my day. So the nice lady who gave me the $.15 cents told me where to get a daily pass. Ok I its my stop, Greenmount and 33rd, I don't see it. I continue walking, I ask, "Do you know where I can get a daily", "No" he says. "Excuse me do you know where I can get a daily", "Yes baby go two stores down to the liquor store". Great into the liquor store I go. "Excuse me how much are your daily bus passes", "Ahwhat we no havy no bussy passes heayur" the Korean guy exclaims, should've known. I give up where's the atm, yes an MandT atm no fee for me. So I take out $20.00, then I go into the slowest Rite Aid in the world. Yes, you know the one hit by the recession with one cashier and of course the line is 3 people long and might as well be 15 people long by the way its moving. And of course they are having a sale on alcohol so all the holics are there lined up with there bottles making sure that they are getting the correct price, and their cigarettes. O I just need to buy this foil so that I can break my twenty and get on the bus. Finally my turn. She Gives me my change one ten dollar bill, one five dollar bill, and 3 ones, but I need $.50. "O", she says, "I can't give you any change because I closed my drawer you are going to have to wait for the next customer". There aren't any, its just me, ahhhhhhh. Ok that last part happened in my head. Then, "If you hurry up and go over there she can give you some", I go running like a slave who almost reaches victory. Yessa Yessa Ize a Comin. Finally, I have the $.50. And if it couldn't get worse, it didn't.
The bus was right outside, and you know that song by Alanis Morrisette, Isn't it Ironic, well guess what, big orange sign on top of where I would put my $3.50 that says not working. Lord help me and you know what's next....
Next Stop...
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