27 Bryant Line. Outbound. 12:30pm. 7.15.11

Good thing I didn’t pick this hold down again. Not a bad run but damn theirs too many crazies downtown. I need a change of scenery for a bit. 

So I get to 5th and Market on time, which is weird for a Friday downtown. I’m pretty glad that im going to be getting of this run and going to be on evening/late niter next week so im thinking to my self ’20 more minutes till im off’ and i pull up to the stop, open the doors and start to load up the people.

As I opened the doors, scanned the crowd and noticed crazy dude from 10 days ago and im thinking to myself, “maybe today he is not going to be talking to himself…”

So wrong…so wrong…

As he steps on he said something along the lines of “I don’t need anyone” or ” I don’t care for anyone”. So this time around, I pulled out my pen and paper and wrote down almost every phrase he said.

He went to stand around the backdoor and the performance began:

“I’m no good for anybody” said multiple times

“I don’t care” said multiple times

“It’s all in my head”

“I’m not afraid to be locked up”

“Theirs a radio in my head”

“I’m a schizophrenic” said like 4 times

“Stevie Wonder has money”

“I don’t need a newspaper. I got a newspaper in my head”

“I can see my own tv in my head”

Then some people were talking about the giants and how they were playing and what time the game started and then Mr. Crazy felt like making some statements on that:

“no no no no no no” repeated 2 times

“I hate the Giants” said 3 times

“To hell with the Giants”

“I don’t care about the Giants” said 2 times

“I live in my own universe”

“I don’t know if I reading a book or not”( He had no book)

So I got to Division and Bryant and I picked up this other driver and he asked me how my day was and I told him to listen and Mr. Crazy was back to saying “I don’t care” several times. He asked me some other questions which helped me keep my mind off dude. I got to 17th and dropped off the driver and I continued on. Mr. Crazy said “I’m no good to nobody” a couple more times and I got to the relief at 24th and seen that it was not the regular driver and I told him the condition of the bus and that he had a crazy dude on the bus talking to himself. He just shrugged it off and smiled and started to adjust the seat and I took off.

Also, I knew I had seen someone who looked like this dude online and I found the image. He looks almost dead on like this guy with the glasses (minus the fitted hat) on the left side in the picture. Now you know who to keep away from on Market.

27 Bryant Line. Outbound. 12:32PM. 7.5.11

Heres the 2nd event of 5th:

So I get back to 5th and market. Same location as earlier. This was my relief trip so I wanted to get off on time but with all the construction on Bush and Jones, by the time I got to 5th I was already down 4 minutes and on the 27, those 4 minutes are hard…very hard to get back.

So as I open the doors to start loading up people the 4th or 5th person on the bus is this tall black dude with an orange polo shirt, khaki pants and dark frame glasses. First thing he says is:

“tomorrow night I’m going to be in the mission”

And he walks back and repeats it 4 more times. I’m thinking to myself ‘ ehh maybe dude just high or something’ and take off. Well, we get down a couple blocks and he says it again hella loud another 5 times. Now I’m starting to think ‘ya this dude not all there.’

So we get to 5th and Harrison and all of a sudden I hear him say “no one loves me” a couple of times and then BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! and I’m thinking I either ran something over or somebody is on the outside trying to get in. So on the 3rd BAM I look back into the bus and see this dude pounding on the window and as I’m about to say something he stops and points to something out the window.

AINT NOTHING OUT THE WINDOW

So some lady starts talking to him; asking him if he’s alright and asking him some other questions and he doesn’t respond to her questions so she leaves him alone. I get down to 11th and Harrison and he starts up again. This time he says “I’m stupid, no one loves me” and he says it 4 more times and he gets louder. Now at this time this *other* lady I guess saw that she was going to correct dudes thoughts about life. So she gets all next to dude and starts having the conversation where she was saying you’re not stupid and how people he knows are the ones filling his mind with all this junk and how he shouldn’t believe anything negative. So she got this speech/therapy session going and i pull up to 16th and Bryant and start loading up people. I think hear her getting all louder and she comes up to the front still yelling ” don’t think like that. oh thank you bus driver this is my stop” and gets off the bus. Damn she basically hyped up dude with her speech and got off hahah. So im hoping dude don’t loose it between the next 8 blocks because I want to get off and go home.

We get down a couple more blocks and im sure he said something else along the lines like “I want to die” or “I want to cry,” and im thinking to myself lemme make it, lemme make it. So I get to 24th and pop the brake, put it in neutral and grab my stuff. I see my relief and tell him how the route is looking and tell him that there is some dude on the bus talking to himself. He goes “when isn’t there one?” and we both start laughing and I take off walking. I look in to the side of the bus and see crazy dude reading a book or some papers. Maybe dude was reading a script? nah dude is crazy.

27 Bryant Line. Outbound. 9:01AM. 7.5.11

It’s funny to me when people try to scam the system. I’m just saying if you get caught,just man up and pay the fare and keep it moving. Anyways this is story 1 of 2 today. 

So I get to 5th and Market and start loading up my people. As I’m handing out transfers and talking with people, I’m surveying the crowd and notice this one dude I picked up last week who had no money and gave me a story to why he didn’t have it. He’s a Goofy looking dude with his Hawaiian shirt and some shorts and a black bag with some stuff in it. So I see him today and well…he’s gonna pay since he rode free last time. He is the last one to get on so I already get that “feeling” that he is gonna ask for another free ride.

NOPE. NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

So he gets on and the convo goes like this:
Him-“hey bus driver can I get a ride?”
Me-“where you trying to go?”
Him-“I’m going to pick up my check. ”

Now mind you, this is the *EXACT* same thing that happened last Friday, so I KNOW he doesn’t remember me for squat. So on friday I told him to have the correct fare next time and let him ride. TODAY, it went different.

Me-“you told me that already. You gonna have to put something in the box”
Him- (starts putting in change) ” I need a transfer. ”
Me-(looks at the farebox and it says 40¢) “you can ride but you ain’t gettin a transfer on 40 cents.”
Him-(pulls out what looks like 14 cents more and holds it in his hand)” but I gave you everything.”
Me-“well you might as well sit down because you ain’t getting a transfer. ”

So he walks back and takes a seat. So by the time he sits down were already at Harrison and 5th where I’ma turn and load/unload some people. I can hear him fidgeting around with his bag so I’m like whatever. I go 2 more stops(7th) and as I’m closing my door after loading up someone, he comes back up to the front and goes:
Him-“so if u give you the rest of my change, can I get a transfer? I need a transfer. ”
Me- “it better be 35 cents if you want that transfer. ”
So take a quick peek over my shoulder and he goes back and sits down. I get to 8th and open the door because someone wants to get off and he’s the first one out the door.

Just another SMH moment.