BUS STORY # 313 (“Dragging Butt”)

Wheelchair And Bus, a photo by Mrs. Busboy.

When the bus pulls up across the street, one of the guys waiting on our side of the street says to the guy standing beside him, “That means we got another ten minutes.”

He’s an older guy, in one of those baseball caps with a neck cape.

The other guy says, “He’ll be here at six thirty-one.”

He’s a younger guy and has on a Sea World baseball cap.

Neck Cape guy asks how he knows this.

Sea World guy says he’s been riding this bus for four years.

A third guy says it’ll be six thirty-five. “They’re always late.”

Sea World says, “Only if the driver’s dragging butt.”

Then he adds, “Or else picking up a wheelchair.”

He goes on to say there’s always a wheelchair boarding at either the hospital or San Mateo. That’ll make the driver three minutes late. Otherwise, he’s dragging butt.

Always? asks Neck Cape.

Always, says Sea World. You wait and see. If he’s three minutes late, you’ll see a wheelchair when you board. If you don’t see a wheelchair, he’s dragging butt.

Well, wait a minute, now, says Neck Cape. What if he picks up a wheelchair at the hospital and then lets him off at San Mateo? That’d make him six minutes late, and you wouldn’t see no wheelchair, and you’d be sayin’ he’s draggin’ butt.

Sea World is adamant. If he’s six minutes late, he’s dragging butt.

Neck Cape doesn’t pursue the debate.

The bus arrives at 6:34. We board, all six of us that were waiting. There is no wheelchair, and the seats in the wheelchair space are all full. Sea World turns back to Neck Cape and mouths, “dragging butt.”

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The photo at the top of this story is titled “Wheelchair And Bus” and is posted with the kind permission of Mrs. Busboy. She doesn’t post to Flickr, but she sometimes shares with me.