29 December 2010

Park Street Station:

I have sworn no fewer than 5 times at my 80 lbs of luggage that I've had to drag from transfer to transfer, from line to line (and which, I was just realizing, due to the hour, I would have to drag home instead of taking the bus which doesn't run past midnight). While waiting for the Alewife train to arrive and take me to Harvard Station, a couple on the other side of the tracks arrives. The guy carries a pizza box from which the girl takes a slice which she alternately consumes and feeds to the guy. Eventually they are approached by a (probably homeless) man. He does a double take at the pizza, stops, and says:

"Hey, can I have a slice of that?"

"Sure thing, brother," the guy replies. "Help yourself."

The homeless man watches as the pizza box lid is lifted, revealing a nearly whole pie. He reaches for a slice, but pauses momentarily.

"... Is it good?"

"Yes," they reassure him, "it's delicious."

Sufficiently satisfied with that answer, the man then takes a slice, thanks the couple multiple times, and walks off. It was a funny, quiet reminder to me that having a little more than I can conveniently carry is still infinitely better than being able to carry much more than I have.

2 December 2010

#66 Bus at Beacon Street:

The bus leaves the stop and moves forward several feet to stop at the red light. When the cross-traffic light turns yellow, he begins to inch out into the intersection. Simultaneous with the turning of his light comes a knock at the door. A man is standing in the middle of the street asking to be let in. The driver grumpily open the door and lets the man in who quickly proclaims, "One more coming!" and waves to the woman on the sidewalk.

At this, the driver reacts with anger: "No no no no no no. That's not how it works!"

He closes the door and drives away, leaving the woman standing about six feet away from the bus in the center of a lane of traffic. The man immediately pulls out his phone to call her with a sort of half-panicked look in his eye. Before the call connects, however, the bus pulls over at the next stop. The man hesitates, stands up, sits down, and stands up again, wondering whether he should get off and go back. In the end, he jumps to his feet and runs off the bus.