Big TTA news!

Just so y'all know, on Monday morning, the Triangle Transit buses begin using the new and improved Transfer Center at 901 Slater Road in RTP. The drivers also switch routes. I have no idea who my drivers will be, so I'll keep ya posted about that. You can go here to see the new routes. Personally, I am excited about shortening my commute by 10 minutes. I'll try to remember to bring my camera for photos of the new digs.

There hasn't been much bus news lately. Sorry about that.

Sarge, in his typical "why be on time when you can be early" spirit, decided we needed to get used to the new schedule today, so I nearly missed my bus, as did Chatty Cathy and her new BFF. There's some woman who's also new on the bus. They share a bench in the morning and smoke themselves silly. Takes the pressure off me to be nice at 7 AM.

Floyd has decided to work the 3 PM to midnight shift driving the express routes, so I won't see him again for 6 months probably. This is too bad because I really like the guy.

Cherry Cough Syrup Lady has finally toned it down. A week or two ago, on a Thursday I was sitting up front chatting with Boyfriend, as usual. When we got to the park and ride, I saw her waiting for the bus, so I got up and bolted for the back of the bus. When we arrived at the Transfer Center, I walked up to the front of the bus to talk to him. He thought it was funny. He also thinks she reeks. He told me it's actually hairspray, not perfume. What's especially amusing about that is what her hair looks like. She always has a big clump sticking straight out in the back. Same spot, every day. It's awesome.

Okay, gotta go...NCIS is on. Have I told y'all I'm addicted? Seriously. I got it bad for this show.

On the New Girl, Amy Number One, and hand-knitted items.

There's a new girl on the bus. She has mousy reddish brown hair, wears way too much brown and has an unfortunate predilection to Fun Fur scarves. The first week she was on the bus, she was under the impression that Sarge should magically or telepathically know when and where to let her off the bus. Finally this week she started to ring the buzzer like everyone else. This week she has also decided to pick up the bus at my stop rather than her old stop, where ever that was. I really don't care where she gets on the bus, except that she is lacking any ability to mind her own business. Someone coughs on the bus? She has to see who it was. Someone get off, she has to say goodbye to them. She's not special, just annoying. I head to the bus stop around 7 AM. At that time of the day, I'm not so interested in making friends. Especially with the recent insomnia thing, I'm not at my best at 7 AM. She, however, appears to be bright eyed, bushy tailed and chatty at 7 AM. I'd hate to have to choke her with that Fun Fur scarf.

This morning, Chatty Cathy tried to star a conversation with me. I wasn't having it. We got on the bus, I sat in front of Amy Number One, she sat across from her. I pulled out a hat I'm knitting for my friend Cailin (of Five Kids, Two Labs, One Lizard and a Hermit Crab fame). (Oh, by they way, Cai, you're getting a Christmas hat, but that's all I can tell you right now.) Anyway, Amy of course asks me what I'm making...I swear one of these days, I'm going to have to teach her to knit...

Amy: What are you making?
Moi: It's going to be a hat.
Amy: For who?
Me: For my friend Cailin.
Amy: Cailin.
Chatty Cathy: That's a pretty color red.
**Cai, you know you asked for a red hat, so no shocker there**
Me: Yes, it's going to be a Christmas present.

I wasn't talking to her, I was talking to my pal, Amy. Okay, yes, it is a lovely red color, but still...this is an AB conversation so see yourself out lady! (Or however that stupid phrase goes.)

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I also found out today that Floyd's name is not actually Floyd. I've been calling him Floyd for six months and he hasn't corrected me. I feel like a complete dork. I also learned he does yoga. He is definitely my favorite bus driver. I get about 15 minutes to talk to him in the morning. I've learned all about his family, his former job as an EMT. He's a neat guy. I'm going to miss him when they switch routes. I will not miss Special Ed trying to butt into our conversations in the morning.

Today's observations

1. On the way home today from work, I sneezed. Normally, this bodily function is not blog-worthy. But this is what happened when I sneezed.


Seriously, he's two seats in front of me, people. What the hell?

2. I learned today that Floyd does not wear socks. Something about this disturbs me.

3. This morning, the backdoor got stuck. Sarge kept his cool and called for a new bus, which was around the corner. We got off the old bus, boarded the new one, and were off. He was not about to be late twice in one week. Sarge had a hard time convincing Amy Number One she didn't need to swipe her pass to get on the new bus. When she realized it was not necessary, she thanked Sarge. It was cute. (She got in trouble with him last week for ringing for a stop when she wasn't supposed to. "You better be good now, Amy," was what he said to her.) Sarge got us to the Transfer Center with three minutes to spare. After he got off the bus to stretch his legs, I heard him talking to Floyd. "They were stressing me out this morning!" One thing I like the most about him is that all of the other drivers call him by his last name. They'll refer to each other by first name, except Sarge. They call him Mr. Spivey. I've never heard his first name used. Not even by Floyd, who may be older than Sarge!

4. I also wanted to let you know I figured out where Crunchberries come from. They come from this tree in my front yard.


Weighing the number of fallen Crunchberries on the ground against the squirrel and bird activity in the front yard, I am going out on a limb and say they are not edible. Perhaps Cap'n Crunch has to freeze-dry them first.

5. The beer dinner was superb. I'll post photos later.

It takes a village.

The first bus I take home in the evening is the 48, which uses LabCorp as its second time point. I was sitting in the back of the bus and I noticed an unusually large crowd in the front. The LabCorp building is next to an office building, and next to each is woods for a good half mile in either direction. This means that we expect people to get off at that stop in the morning and on at that stop in the evening, which is 99% of the time what happens. This stop happens to be shared with the Number 15 DATA bus, which is hardly ever used since the DATA buses are terrifying and run every hour and a half in rush hour traffic. Now that we have that straight, here's what happened Friday afternoon. Keep in mind I'm a little fuzzy on the specifics because I was the asshole in the back of the bus yakking away on the cell phone. (I hate those people!)

Floyd pulls up to LabCorp stop. One young girl gets off, three people get on. Floyd starts to drive, but wonders aloud what Young Girl is trying to do. Floyd stops the bus and opens the doors. Cross Eyed Mary also wonders aloud what Young Girl wants to do. This propmts Lefty to perk up as well. Floyd, the halo wearing bus driver, is having trouble getting Young Girls attention, so he honks at her and motions for her to get back on the bus. Floyd asks her where she is going. I didn't hear what she said, but this prompts Floyd to do a lot of gesturing and pointing. Cross Eyed Mary suddenly has something to say, and is now standing in the front of the bus with Floyd and Young Girl. Another woman picks up a schedule opens it, and heads to the front. I look up again and three people, including Floyd, are holding schedules and pointing in different directions. Young Girl looks even more confused. I am fairly certain that at some point, Red Headed Stranger gets in on this too. This carries on for, I kid you not, ten minutes before everyone sits down and Floyd closes the doors and drives on. Miraculously, we arrived on time at the Transfer Center.

Fear not, loyal readers. If you find yourself on a bus and unsure of where to go, there will be five people armed with schedules and an opinion on your travel plans.

I need to have my head examined.

My first bus in the evening was running too fast tonight and I almost missed it. Between you and me, this was the last thing I needed after the day I had. I went into the TTA customer service office to let them know. While I was filling out my complaint form, a customer service girl sells a monthly pass to a guy and mentions to him that if you buy six of them, you get a free monthly pass if you bring back the six used ones. I did not know this. Again, tough day, the last thing I needed to hear. So I mentioned it to the girl. I tell her I had never heard this before, I have been riding the bus for about a year and a half now, no one told me. Her response was basically, "Oh well." In her best interest, she summons a supervisor. I express my frustration, shall we say, to the supervisor. As the conversation ends she gives me two monthly passes for free. (A monthly pass costs $64, for those of you playing along at home.) Essentially, it's what I had earned this year by buying 12 monthly passes. Sounds great, right? Yeah, except now I feel a bit guilty. I mean this is $128 (someone check my math) value that she just gave to me. On one hand, I'm thrilled. On the other hand, I fell like maybe, it was too generous? Someone, please, what the hell is my problem?

Next week the TTA is having a big hoopla. Next Friday, 9/26, is Operations Appreciation Day. I am planning on making bus shaped cookies with bus colored icing for all of the drivers and staff. I'll wrap them up in little bags with a little note that says thank you. They really are great people. They have comment cards that riders can fill out and turn in. I grabbed a fistful today to fill out for Boyfriend (of course), Floyd, Lester, Norman, Preacherman, Sarge, Richard, and anyone else I can think of.

Preacherman is one of my favorites. He works part time, so I don't see him that often. He's the one that looks like a compact Jerome Bettis. He has the exaggerated diction and dramatic pauses of someone who does a lot of public speaking. He's apparently a preacher, from what I hear. He's a nice guy with a funny name. I forget it, but it's something like Harrington Jenkins. Bennington Jones? I forget.

Sarge is my new morning bus driver. He's a bit gruff, but nice. He has the deep voice, perfect posture and neatly groomed moustache of a career military man. It was also confirmed that he was in the military by several bus drivers.

The great people deserve cookies. I figure a production sized recipe by Bo Freiberg should do the trick.

And if you look to your right, you can see....

Floyd drives my second bus, the one that gets me to work. Floyd has white hair, cut like a fuzzy military cut and sounds like he's from one of the lesser populated areas of Western North Carolina. He wears pinky rings on both hands. He's a super nice guy, and he seems to have to 10-100 a lot. I like Floyd. He's good people.

On the way to work, we cross two sets of railroad tracks. The drivers have to stop and open the doors before proceeding across the the tracks. As Floyd pulled up to the first set of tracks, he calls to everyone on the bus to look out the left windows. "Y'all, look over there at those deer." He points to the mother deer and two spotted babies grazing by the tracks. The mom deer looks up at us, I assume she thinks, "Meh," and goes back to grazing. The two babies freak out a little and start to head back to the woods.

"Isn't that pretty?" adds Floyd as he lingers a bit longer than usual before crossing the tracks. It was lovely.