Getting with the program: First Week on Facebook

What fun, FINALLY joining Facebook (shamed into it by family, friends, work colleagues and my erstwhile hairdresser, nonetheless !). Mostly what I like is seeing other folks pictures ! But I also like the ambience of chat/observation/etc. Everything from whether basil pineapple or basil blueberry is the better combination for a gelato flavour, to finding out that one of my former colleague's daughter's ankle surgery went well and she's on the mend.

Of course, my first week also included the major 'attack' on service for Facebook, I (of course) just said, blythely 'the internet must be down for a bit' and went and did something else.

The Bus Experience in NYC

This article reminded me of my own adventures 'riding the buses' in Manhattan (and occasionally, also in Brooklyn). For several years I was working with a client on 14th St between 6 & 7th Avenues, and liked to stay in a quasi (i.e. old) boutique hotel up on 24th East. I got accustomed to taking the 3rd Avenue Bus and then the 14th Street to get to/and fro during my week's assignments each month. I never noticed anyone 'famous' (or 'infamous' for that matter) but there was always something worthy of notice, and often quite thought-provoking too.

One stood out so much in my mind that I did write it down at the time, and shared it via email with a few friends. For those of you who might have 'read it before', just skip over this. Anyone else is welcome to share c'mon in:

The 'scene' Beautiful day in mid-October, balmy and it's rush hour. Get on the 14th Street bus, haul up my too-heavy computer 'roll-aboard' case and find a smash-croweded, standing room only busload of packed people. I suffle to the rear, hang-strap by hang-strap, and finally stoping, swaying over a 2 year old have a major tantrum on his mother's lap. Swing and Sway (and squeal and shriek). Two wheel chair passengers are strapped into the special anchor areas on either side of the rear doors. Two year old continues to wail. Mother murmurs comforting sounds and keeps him from hurling himself on the bus floor and/or into the knees of other passengers (such as, for example, mine) in a language I do not recognize.

Bus stops at a designated bus stop where connections are made and 'kneels' -- passenger loading side electronically lowers itself to sidewalk level with 'beep' 'beep' 'beep' sounding warnings. Disembarking passengers are asked politely to 'hold it' and embarking passengers are also waved aside. Two 'attendants' unhook the wheelchair passengers and roll them off the now-level platfor to the sidewalk.

Not done yet ! A waiting wheelchair passenger is then loaded up on the platfor, and bus returns to its normal travelling level (i.e. it 'un' kneels). Passengers help strap in the new wheelchair person. Then, blind person with Seeing Eye Dog boards, then throngs of 'regular' passengers. Two year old Tantrum Boy continues, more loudly if that is possible. Oriental new passenger starts singing to the child (in yet another language I don't recognize), mother smiles a 'thank you' and keeps fielding his thrashing.

Time, traffic, and rush hour continue as we make progress moving westward on 14th Street.

More people are getting off than on now, and I am offered a seat right behind the bus driver, which I gratefully accept. Tantrum continues. Person (yet another one, as I've moved to the front of the bus by now) in wheelchair falls asleep across from me, and the Seeing Eye Dog drools on my roll-aboard computer case, but 'smiles' at me and wags his tail when I look at him (and the drool).

Slowly I notice there is some standing right against the back of the driver's chair and motioning energetically with her hands. In the driver's rear view mirror, I see the driver motioning back to her, equally as energetically. At the next stop, the standing 'motioner' gets off and flashes American Sign Language for Thank You (one of the few phrases I've learned). I suddenly realize that she'd been asking for, and getting (!!) directions from the bus driver.

I see my stop and signal to get off. Child is still screaming, wheelchair person is still napping, and Seeing Eye Dog has last all interest in me and my bag and is catching a nap himself. I get off the bus, stop in Starbucks and get a latte to go, and go up to my client's offices, thinking I've had a true 'New York' slice of life experience.

All at the client site are amazed that I'm on time, and with a latte in hand, no less. A subway fire has the lower Manhattan area in gridlock disarray, delaying subway and ground level transportation everywhere. I recount to them my 'bus trip' and they decide to make me an 'honorary New Yorker' for the day.