maybe i'll get a vespa

i had a relatively inefficient day.
my workplace was absolutely dead
and i got sent home after two hours,
with no earnings in my pocket.
(i'm a server.)

i had a doctor's appointment at 3p.m.
and i scheduled it so that i'd have
just the right amount of time to bike over after work
as my clinic is fairly near my job.

getting off work several hours early messed up that plan
so i biked home, showered, had a snack
and then took the bus to my appointment.

this turned out to be a mistake.
after my appointment i ran out to the bus stop
and happily discovered that the next bus
was to come by in five minutes.
and it did.
but it flew around the corner and down the block
before stopping at a nearby stop.
so i had to wait for the next bus,
which wasn't due to arrive for 40 minutes.

i walked over to the other bus stop
and waited. and waited.
and then a rather large black man walked up
and told me that i was at the wrong stop.
he takes the 12 everyday and said that the bus alternates
stops and that it would be stopping around the corner
and down the block.
where i originally had been waiting.

the man and i conversed for awhile and then he said to me,
"see that man over there?"
he pointed across the street to a white-haired gentleman
wearing a dark suit and carrying a weathered brown shoulder bag.
he was coming our way, hurried and disheveled.
"yeah."
"well, when he shows up that means the bus is almost here."

these two men take the bus everyday
and they took turns complaining about
the horrible state of this particular bus line.

we eventually boarded the bus
and before i even sat down i heard a voice say,
"no bike today?"
it was a boy that comes into the cafe with his grandfather.
an avid cyclist, he's seen me on the trails
and we've visited several times.
he had lots of acquaintances on the bus
as many of them ride together everyday.
it's a whole world i didn't know existed.

i had to switch buses partway home
but my transfer ticket had expired
due to aforementioned circumstances
so i decided to walk the dozen blocks home
rather than pay another $2.00.

what would have been a 30 minute bike ride
or 15 minute car ride was a
1 hour and 45 minute trip home.
today was one of those days where
owning car would have been alright.

-nicole