Yesterday evening going to Drinking Liberally as it was raining, I caught a crowded bus downtown at its first stop. People started pouring on from under the awnings for half a block around. There were at least 30 people, probably more, and it was already crowded by the time I got on. That’s fine. I’m glad that a lot of people use the bus in Seattle.
Still, getting on the bus was rather annoying. There were several people — who I assume were regular commuters — without a basic understanding of paying. There were people who fished out their ORCA Cards at the machine. There were people who fumbled around for their money once they got to the box.
This is not great behavior in the best of times, but when there’s a line waiting in the rain, it’s really unacceptable. Please, for the sake of everyone behind you, be ready when you get on the bus. If there’s a line where you’re waiting, that should be the time to get ready.
Yes, I know exactly why you’re talking about. I’ve had the same thing happen often to me. I always seem to get behind the lady at the grocery store who wants to pay her bill by signing-over a third party check drawn against a bank in Rwanda. No consideration whatsoever for the time of others!!
Carl and @1: A Second Amendment Solution (TM) exists for both problems which will dramatically reduce the time you spend waiting in line. Just spray the line ahead of you with a short burst from an AR-15 and believe me, those people will get out of your way and let you move to the head of the line! Tell ’em the NRA sent you.
So, I suppose another reason not to support voter ID laws is that it might annoy the liberals in line if voters don’t have their ID ready at the proper time. I wonder if they tried that angle in Georgia?
Completely agree, Carl – it’s one of my pet peeves. You’re waiting for a bus, you know you have to pay, so get your money ready and don’t make everybody else wait behind you while you fumble for all the change. If you’re not ready, stay out and wait until those of us who ARE ready have boarded and paid, then get on and pay.
Hardly a reason, more like a moronic right wing fantasy..
The true reason to oppose voter id laws is that voter id laws are designed by the right wing to block legal voters they hate from voting thereby electing those who’ll cater to every right wing whim from tax cuts for the rich to trans-vaginal ultrasound wands.
heh..
http://theweek.com/article/ind.....nutes-over
I know Ryan was Jerry the Klown’s big mancrush for a long while.. Isn’t he Bob’s? Can’t recall at the moment..
Sure is getting lonely at the top for Eddie Munster Rand…
Carl, people don’t get out their money or cards until they are on the bus because they are afraid of being ripped off. You know, inner city crime.
What? Pluto boy didn’t have his crazed databaze ready when he posted?
HAHAHAHA!
ButtPutty, you are still a Putz.
It’s pretty sad when a human being is less intelligent than a squirrel. Squirrels have the ability to prepare for the future by burying nuts for the winter. In other words, they can anticipate and prepare for something months away. Yet, many humans, as recounted in this post, do not even have the ability to prepare a bus that will be coming in several minutes by getting their change or transfer ready before hand. The people Carl wrote about are literally operating on level below that of a rodent.
@10 Actually, some of the behavior Carl describes is more like bus passengers untypically displaying the sort of poor judgement and even worse manners generally practiced by the majority of people driving cars.
@11
Yet, notice didn’t Carl didn’t write about the horrible bus trip he had because the bus was following car drivers exhibiting poor judgement and poor manners. He spoke about spoke about bus passengers who have probably been waiting for the bus for up to 15 minutes, yet it only occurred to them to search for their bus fare after they boarded the bus.
Carl, Seattlites are Americans and Americans in general have a hard time with the basic concepts of public transportation.
There’s a gentlemen at my bus stop who fumbles finding his fare every day. It is what it is.
Carl,you do not take the bus very often.This happens all of the time. But in the U district where I catch the bus in the afternoon if you get your money out before the bus arrives the chances are that it will be stolen. The racist, anti-poor pay as you get on policy has only made the problem worst. The next time you ride a bus (2 months form now) you will complain about people get off thru the front door, not the back door. Without checking to see if the back door is open or if there is a large puddle or bush in the way of it.
@14,
I think you’re the first troll who has accused me of not riding the bus much. Congrats? Usually when I write one of these pieces, it’s all, “get a car.” I take the bus most days, but as I say in the post, it was a different route than usual, so it was a longer line than normal for me. It was also raining quite hard. But the fact that this happens other times doesn’t mean it’s unreasonable to complain about it this time.
@7 & @14
Huh? What city do you live in? In my Seattle there aren’t hordes of “thugs” or “homeless” waiting to snatch my fare from my hand should I get my fare out before the bus arrives.
In 25 years of living in Seattle and riding the bus I’ve never seen such a thing happen.