BUS STORY # 286 (The Case Of The Purloined Bus Stop Sign)
I leave work late this evening, but my compensation is running into Vikram* on the ride home. I haven’t seen him in since he’s started his new job working at the university.
We’re having a good time catching up, and we are both amused that, for once, the layover by the Sunshine Apartments** is a good thing because we have a lot of catching up to do.
Our driver is a new guy, a young guy. Vikram nods at our driver and tells me one of his co-riders who also works at the university has another driver to train to stop at his stop.
I’m confused.
Well, his regular stop is just north of Marquette. Do I know that stop?
Sure I do.
Well, did I ever notice there’s no bus stop sign there?
As a matter of fact, I have not. I do know there’s a stop there because I’ve seen folks get off there. But I couldn’t tell you if it had a sign or a bench or both or neither.
Well, it used to have a sign, Vikram explains. But every time the city puts one up, it disappears shortly afterwards.
You’re kidding! Who’d steal a bus stop sign?
Somebody who doesn’t like the buses coming up this way.
Vikram asked if I remembered when ABQ RIDE cut off our route at Tramway. Yes I did. I wrote several posts about the experience between December, 2006, and the final restoration of the route the following April. I remember hearing at the time several variations on the theme that some folks -- or some one folk with clout -- didn’t like the bus in our neighborhood.
It is Vikram’s suspicion that a disgruntled neighbor is taking the signs down as his personal protest.
It can’t be the noise anymore, Vikram points out. Back then, they were running the 300s. But they use only the new 700s and 900s on the route now, and they’re significantly quieter.
I smile. I smile because this is a pretty good little bus story, and because I like how Vikram, despite his many years of living among us native-born Americans, continues to look for the rational in our behaviors.
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*Real name changed.
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** The layover was returned to the original layover on Chelwood Park on December 31.
posted by Busboy at 5:00 AM
2 Comments:
This was the second Sunday in a row I saw the bus go down Turner. Wonder if the petition is working, or if it's just that the bus driver doesn't know?
I saw Paul on the bus a couple of days after that first Sunday. He said it was probably a new driver since he's heard nothing back on the petition.
I should probably due a bus story on this one of these days.
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