Oracle Online

The metro buses are filled with a potpourri of people, coming and going like the change of tides. In a 2005 survey by Environmental Working Group, the Twin Cities ranked 11th on the list of most car-dependent cities in the nation. Many people have turned to the bus. Whether they’re saving a few bucks, escaping the stress of the rush hour, or simply trying to get warm, they congregate and socialize. Everyone has a story to tell.

At any time of day most riders are low-key; the aura of contemplation hangs heavy in the air. People mind their own business while listening to head phones or reading books. As streets fly by, the driver calls out each name on his microphone, every few blocks a passenger will pull the yellow cord hanging above them and the red “stop requested” sign will light up above the driver’s head. They depart.

The seats in the middle of the bus, which do not face anyone, are usually occupied by the quiet riders. In front of the bus, bench seats are reserved for the elderly and disabled. The back of the bus is where the magic happens. Three bench seats arranged in a semi-circle set the mood for the perfect conversation lounge.

Route 84 is the quietest of these three lines that run through the Midway, but it does have its moments of eccentricity.

Running down Snelling Ave. and Ford Parkway to the 46th St. Transfer Station, many riders are older or on their way to and from the airport via the light rail. On a Wednesday afternoon, an older man got on the bus and sat down next to a small Hispanic girl in the front seat. “Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of,” he whispered to her. “I’m an old goat, born and raised in ‘44.” The girl smiled and offered her doll to him.

The previous morning a slightly different scene played out. A passenger was arrested. The man, presumably in his late 40s or 50s, claimed that “someone” on the bus had a shotgun and was going to shoot him, which puzzled the two elderly women and young girl that were the only other passengers.

As the bus pulled into the 46th St. Station he was quickly detained by a waiting police officer and escorted to a squad car, but aside from the outburst the man caused no real harm.

Around 9 a.m., route 74G heads from Highland Park toward downtown St. Paul, a White Bear Lake mathematics professor prepared for his morning lecture. “Now that gas has gone up I’m not going to deal with paying all of that money just for stress on the freeway,” he said. “When it gets cold in the winter, I will be the first person standing on the corner waiting on the bus.”

“Everyone has a story. I would like to write a book about what I’ve gone through in my life,” said Jon Rabideaux as he took a seat. “I write through lyrics.”

Rabideaux, a former addict trying to turn his life around, was on his way to a dentist appointment and was pleased to tell stories about his band, the Brother Jon Blues Band, in which he plays guitar and sings. Rabideaux, a regular bus commuter, said the craziest thing he’d ever seen on the bus was a man chugging a bottle of Listerine who passed out while attempting to board.

The 16, as regular riders call it, tends to be a little more crowded. Two gentlemen, calling themselves Bond and Jo-G-Z, made conversation on their way to work.

“Man, I can’t wait to get to the crib,” a man named Busy interrupted as he sat in between the two,

“I’ve been in the clink for 14 days. That’s too long. Thirty seconds is too long.” He ate Chinese food with chopsticks.
“How do you use them chopsticks?” asked Jo-G-Z as if they were old friends, “I’ve been trying to learn that shit for four years.” Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the driver.

“There is NO eating back there!” she strictly reminded. “If I see you with food next time you won’t even get on the bus.” The three men laughed loudly at the scolding. “Okay ma’am, I’m done. I’m putting it away right now and saving it ‘til I get home,” Busy said with polite sarcasm. “I don’t want no problems from the bus police. I just got out.”

When asked what the craziest thing they’ve ever seen happen on the bus Bond replied, “I seen somebody [explitive]ing on the bus.”

“I peed on the bus,” laughed Jo-G-Z.

“One time I saw an old lady sleeping and she drooled all the way down her shirt,” added Busy.

While many people zip along in their Benz or beater they tend to forget an alternate option, the bus. Gas prices are up and freeways are crowded. While characters are in plenty, seeing an act of pure mischief on the bus seems to be a matter of luck. People are just trying to get where they’re going and trying to get by.