There was a time when I depended entirely upon the city’s mass transit system. I lived in Lafayette Square and worked out in U-City. I would take my two buses to get to work however the system would shut down before midnight, leaving me stranded half way home so I had to improvise. I would simply ride one bus all the way downtown and walk across town to my favorite dive bar. But this required a game plan to to stave off the possibility of any trouble.
My plan was simply a three-foot long, cardboard box filled with freshly popped popcorn. Of course! I worked at the coolest movie theatre in town and would box up the leftovers in one of the long, narrow boxes that the cups came in. I carried this along with my sketchbook and newspaper. The bus rides weren’t bad, I learned quickly to avoid making eye contact. My concern was the walk late at night when all the bad guys were out cruising the mean streets of our deserted city. Ahh, but I took comfort with my plan. Should someone bother me I planned on bashing them about the head with the cardboard box. I pictured popcorn flying everywhere that would instantly startle them, allowing me time to quickly run away! Surely they would leave the crazy girl alone. It tied in perfectly with the fact folks at the bar were eagerly awaiting the delicious popcorn each night and would take notice if I didn’t show up.
Such a beautifully brilliant plan which I never got to try out.
This is one of my rough sketches from the Delmar-Forsyth line.
4 comments:
Very cool! more...more...
Ahhh, some would say you shouldn't encourage me! What we need is a way for you to share your music.
When I was a dishwasher at Duff's I'd get off after 12:00 and miss the bus. I once walked home from the CWE to Soulard in the winter. I wasn't wearing socks and had holes in my Chusk Taylors. I ended up with a mild case of frostbite. My feet still act up when it gets cold. Another time I got the bus downtown but it was 12:00 by then.I had to walk down Tucker through the projects. Needless to say I was jumped. I think I'll got into more detail on my blog some day. Buses always stopped at 12:00 for some reason.
A friend just referred to StL as "the city that sleeps." I just suppose we're all expected to do it at the same time.
Our buses still begin shutting down around 11pm and start up around 5am, with willy-nilly weekend runs.
I recall back in the day, being stranded one Sunday by the weekend schedule. The transfer bus wasn't linking up and I was also in a really bad section of town (and without my trusty box o' popcorn). Some guys started threatening me so I called the cops. They showed up, became annoyed to get there before the crime started and then fussed and insulted me as they drove me home. But it was upon my insistence that they help. I recall my telling them I was too poor to take a cab and then respectfully reminding them they took the job "to protect and serve".
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