Yesterday I decided to take a bus from Salt Lake City to Ogden rather than wait for the FrontRunner, which runs only hourly on weekends. I appreciate the change in scenery, and you're a lot more likely to encounter interesting people on the bus than on the train. I met a man named Frank who rides the bus for exactly the same reasons. Well, that and he's homeless.
Frank told me about how he rode a custom-built tandem bike with his blind girlfriend from Florida to Wisconsin (if you want a custom-built tandem bike, Phil Wood is the go-to guy; Frank made me write that down). He's 58 and "an old man now," but his legs are strong, "strong, strong legs." He enjoys riding the 455 because of the beautiful scenery (I agree). He describes himself as an old hippie and a wanderer. He told me I seem like a smart, quiet, sharp, nice guy, and that I just light up when I smile/laugh. I've met a lot of crazy old men, but Frank didn't seem like one of them. Maybe the compliments won me over, but there was something about him that made me think (and this is hard to say precisely) that he still has a handle on life. He goes with the flow, but because that is what he enjoys, not because that is all he has left.
This got me thinking about all the interesting experiences I've had on the bus. I've watched a relationship progress from before they met, to when they started dating, to when she got pregnant, to when he left her. I heard a girl tell her friend how upset she was that her boyfriend had cheated on her with a straight girl (it would have been okay if the girl was bisexual, though). I've listened to anti-Mormon rants, conspiracy theories, and far too many mothers yelling at their two-year-olds. And I've met a whole cast of memorable characters:
- Alexander. The first time I met him he was wandering around on the bus evangelizing or handing out Christian tracts or something. I talked with him for a long time because that was right at the height of my Born-Again Christian phase (I don't use that phrase condescendingly, by the way; I simply find that it conveys my meaning effectively). He had a fantastic conversion story about how he turned away from drugs and sex when he found Jesus, and all-in-all seemed like a pretty cool guy. He invited me to church with him (I never went but almost did a couple times) and made me feel guilty for not telling every person I saw about Jesus.
- Juggalo #1. He's the guy who introduced me to the notion of Juggalos. He was adamant that Juggalos were all a big family, but not a violent gang even though the police treat them as such. He also told me the names of a bunch of record labels I'd never heard of and would probably never care existed.
- Juggalo #2. Technically I met him on a train platform in Salt Lake, but he claims to have recognized me from 25th Street in Ogden. I took this as quite a compliment, actually. I haven't spent much time on 25th Street since high school (and even then I was there somewhat infrequently). Nevertheless, 25th Street is, in my mind, both the literal and figurative heart of Downtown Ogden, one of the three places where I feel most at home.
- Stoner Bus Driver. I only met him once. I'm betting he was fired shortly after. He skipped half a dozen bus stops just to tease some of my classmates. Unfortunately, the old ladies on the bus didn't think his joke was very funny.
- Bus Driver with Good Memory. This bus driver always remembered my bus stop and the stops of many of his other regulars. He got annoyed when us regulars pulled the "Stop Request" cord so he'd tell us to just watch for his wave as we approached our stops.
- Brooklyn Guy. Some guy with a fantastic Brooklyn accent. Wears a yellow poncho and carries a metal lunchbox.
- Friendly Walker Guy. ~55-year-old commuter who gets off a few stops early to walk to work. Wears a fanny pack. Has a daughter with Down Syndrome. Seems like a genuinely nice guy, based on the friendly conversation he has with other commuters. I think his name really is Guy.
- Brianna. Girl from high school. Comes to mind whenever I eat creamy peanut butter, and not in a good way. Got in trouble with the law for beating up her mom. Has some of the prettiest eyes I've ever seen.
- Blind Woman. She and her husband always look happy. I think they are good people (my idea of "good people" will come out in a future post).
- Guitar Guy. First time I saw him, he'd just bought a new chair to sit in while playing guitar. Perhaps the most encouraging guy I've ever met, as I observed the time I accidentally led him to believe I was the drummer in a band called "Legends of the Hidden Gazebo."
- The Deaf Family. These guys make me want to learn sign language just to talk to them. It's either a mom and her son and daughter, or maybe they are boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. Anyway, between the three they've got two electric wheelchairs, two bikes, several crutches, and an orange hunting cap. I see them all the time. If ever it's after noon and you're on Washington Boulevard between 12th Street and 1400 North, you will probably see at least one of them.
- Lagoon Girl. I don't remember her name, but she'd be waiting at the 27th street bus stop to take the 70 to her job at Lagoon when I'd walk past on my way home from work. Usually I keep walking until I see a bus coming, so I'm annoyed when someone talks to me at a bus stop because it sort of makes me feel obligated to stay put, but I enjoyed stopping to talk to Lagoon Girl. I wish I could remember her name. I can't even remember if I had a crush on her or not.
- Drunk Guys. There have been many, some friendlier than others.
My friends complain about their horrifying bus stories,* and I'll admit I didn't mind when Frank would stay silent for a few minutes, but - well, let me put it this way: the driver asked me at one point if Frank was talking too much, and I thought about it for a moment before I said "No." People like Frank are just too interesting to pass up. To use Frank's own words, "I like folks."
*At least the girls do, which makes sense; not only do they get flirted with/hit on, but one friend has been told she should work at Hooters. Another time someone offered to buy her T-shirt. As in the one she was wearing.
