Night People

Although the good outweighs the bad, at times being car-less really can be a hassle. Such was the case when and friend of mine and I found ourselves waiting for the train under threatening clouds. Actually, we were waiting for a bus as the light rail was being worked on until later that day. By the time the bus came there was a light drizzle. We had the presence of mind to bring umbrellas and we hopped on the bus and were on our way. We decided to each grab a sandwich at Subway (Spicy Italian, sandwich of the Gods) and a few scoops of gelato at this great place next to and owned by Bombay Pizza. We made our purchases at Subway and then walked a few blocks past Bombay to Gelato Blu. We decided my Spicy Italian would be a bit too strong to eat in such a small place like this gelato parlor so we opted to partake in the dessert part of our meal first and then eat our Subway sandwiches at Rice. We stayed for a while eating gelato, trying new flavors such as Michelangelo and tobasco green apple. It was truly a great time. We faced the increasingly bad weather as we went towards the alternative light rail bus route. Luckily, the trains were back up and running so we were able to wait underneath the nearest rail platform instead of in the rain. When the train came we walked on a took a seat in the middle of one of the trains. The lights were kind of flickering on and off a little but no one ever said public transportation was fancy, so I paid little attention to that and laughed and joked around with my friend as we made our way back to West U, eager to get to the commons and to my sandwich. We were making  our way through midtown when all of the sudden we began slowing down. There didn't seem to be any traffic so I was wondering why we were stopping. We came to an abrupt stop and the lights shut off completely.  I don't know how you guys react to being stuck in a small space with 20 people you do not know in the middle of a stormy evening but I personally do not respond very well under such circumstances. I sat very quietly while people cursed and paced nervously up and down the seated pathway. The lights flashed on for a few moments, before dimming once again. The driver announced over the speakers that there was some sort of delay and that we would be moving as soon as we were able. My friend and I remained seated and I decided to just relax and watch what was going on around me. Two guys would sit for a while, then hop up and walk really fast to another seat, which was really odd. Another lady decided it was a great opportunity to breast feed her infant so she began doing that (I'm assuming, I looked away rather quickly). While all of the was happening the gears underneath our feet creaked and groaned and the rain beat against the train. I tried my best to be patient but my hunger was increasing and so was my irritation. Finally after about 20mins the train sprang to life and we were on our way back towards West U. Never have I been so relieved to see the hedges. We walked off of the platform and hurried over to the commons to enjoy our food (and wash our hands).

Dude, Where's My Bus Part 3

But, he continued, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As it turned out he is David Thorne, President and Director of the Urban Mass Transit Union. His words have moved President Obama enough to have them included in his most recent State of the Union address.We exchanged a few words about what we both thought a union was and what the masses felt they needed in order to be productive and active citizens in society. Soon enough, I was at my stop and only a short walk away from my friend's house and cupcake paradise. We exchanged contact info and I hopped off of the bus.

Dude, Where's My Bus Part 2

We drove onto the HOV lane and set forth towards the destinations. We went through several commercial areas before passing up Greenspoint Mall. We drove into the Aldine area and made a right. At this point the bus driver informed us that is was the end of the line. Now, I don't know if any of the readers out there are familiar with the area between Aldine and Greenspoint, but it is not a place to be unexpectedly dropped in to. But regardless of how I or the other 10 or so passengers felt, we all had to get off and find a way to our destinations. As I walked off of the bus, a few guys had some choice words to tell the driver, and after he hammered everything out with them, I asked him if there was another route I could take to reach my destination. "Young lady hang a left at the street up there and wait at the stop. Another bus will come by to take you where you need to go." I thanked him and as I walked toward the marker I looked up how far away I was from where I wanted to be. A mere 4.5 miles!! Another 5mins down the road and I would've been knee deep in cinnamon cupcakes. I made my way to the bus stop and noticed a guy following me. I was a little caught off guard at first but then I recognized him from the bus. We exchanged glances and took a seat on the bench. He asked me in broken English, "This bus to Bush?" I told him yea, the bus we were waiting on ends at the Bush Intercontinental Airport. I checked the bus schedule and as it turned out, the next bus wasn't scheduled to come for another 45mins. I determined that walking would take even longer, so I slumped  back into the bench and prepared myself for the wait. Looking around, I remembered the guy sitting next to me. He seemed like a cool dude, so I decided to strike up a conversation. As it turned out he was on his way back home to Tokyo, Japan. He was visiting a few friends on holiday (as he called it). We must have looked like an odd pair, sitting there at the bus stop in a high crime area laughing and carrying on like good friends, but the time soon passed and a while later the promised bus came around the corner and came to a stop in front of us. I took my usual spot nearest to the door and bid the fellow traveller goodbye as he made his way to the back of the bus. I caught the eye of the bus driver, which was strange considering he was supposed to be looking at the road. The usual Rice U/basketball questions arose, as I had on some of my Rice travel gear. The driver went on to say he was originally from Maryland and made his way down here playing collegiate basketball. What surprised me was that he said it was perhaps the worst mistake of his life.