Grief Griefing!

The ride home earlier today was weird. I guess that’s the best way to describe it. Well, it started out innocently enough. The E came right away, it was one of the new trains, and I got a seat. It was a wonderful surprise; the train portion of the commute was actually quite tolerable. But then when I boarded the Q46, the most bizarre thing took place. After the bus filled up with passengers, nothing happened. Nothing at all. We were just waiting there, standing, holding onto the handlebars, expecting to depart. But we didn’t. Finally, I noticed a commotion and saw several people leaving the bus. They seemed to be muttering something about a mechanical problem. Seeing that we weren’t going anywhere, I too exited. That’s when I noticed a peculiar void: the bus driver was nowhere to be seen. Indeed, the driver who was there when we boarded had disappeared. He simply got off the bus without making any announcements. The next problem was the fact that I had already used up my free transfer when I swiped my metrocard getting onto the bus, and there was no one to give me a transfer card. So when getting onto the next bus, I explained the situation to that driver, who appeared to be a long-time bus driver (judging from his apparent advanced age). He was very nice and politely replied “Sure,” but he also was surprised at the story. He said, “Really? Wow. Huh.” This old timer had thought he’d seen it all before. Ha! Until you ride with me, there will always be something you’ve never witnessed.

Some people enjoy hearing themselves speak. They like the way their voice sounds. City buses are equipped with a sort of intercom system, where the driver is able to make an announcement over the hand-held phone-shaped loudspeaker. They rarely utilize this system because it’s pointless. Well, today on the Q46, the driver was all over it. After picking us up from the corner of Union and Main, he reached for that piece with an enthusiasm I have rarely seen, and declared, “The time is now 7:31. Queens Boulevard will the next and final stop, transfer available to the E and F trains, and several Queens bus lines.” He put down the phone and I thought that was it. I was wrong. A minute later he picked it up again and announced, “The time is now 7:32. Thank you for riding the MTA. Wishin’ you all a wonderful day, a good and a blessed one.” I think that as a child, this dude had hopes of one day becoming a motivational speaker, or at least a professional voice-over guy. But, alas, life can be cruel sometimes, and his dreams were crushed, forcing him to settle for a position as bus operator. I bet he doesn’t view himself as a bus driver; he probably sees himself as an orator who happens to drive a bus while he preaches.

On the Q46 this morning, after several unsuccessful metrocard swipes, the guy right before me proceeded to walk toward the back of the bus. Then the following exchange took place: Driver: Where do you think you’re going? Rider: I’m taking the subway anyway, so I’ll pay there. Driver: If you ask me and I say yes, that’s one thing – but don’t think you can just do that. Rider: Can I go? Driver: Yes. Kudos to that bus driver! You tell that jerk! (Sigh…New Yorkers…)