Photo by Flickr user Telstar Logistics
7:13am, October 13, 2009.
The first big rain of the season; I stepped onto the 5-Fulton bus for my usual commute and felt like I had just battled a true typhoon. I went to my favorite seat immediately and settled down.
There were a couple of men talking about San Francisco; they were both recent transplants to the city, so they were making comparisons of their previous locations to The City. I felt like it was just a simple exchange of a few words, so I drifted off into my own thoughts, and onto a warm slumber during the 40-minute commute.
Rain poured outside while our bus driver perilously navigated the slick streets; meanwhile the two men continued to talk across the aisle with each other, until one, who introduced himself as “James”, decided he would just sit beside his new companion, who said his name was “Jack”.
As the bus continued on towards downtown, more passengers boarded with gloomy expressions over the unexpected rain. However, through the gray faces, Jack and James seemed to melt into their own world, sharing their life stories with one another.
Somehow, that small scene from this morning has stuck with me all day–that, amidst all the recent negative Muni coverage, there are still small beams of hope shining through all the mess.
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Not sure why this just made my eyes well up; it really is the most simplistic thing. I love that you described the 2 men as “melting” into their own world. Paints a really nice picture. Thanks for posting. Made my morning.
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Muni’s not a perfect system, but every so often the stars align.
It was nice to see a compliment to a driver among all the reports of driver error. Those men and women have one of the toughest jobs in the city. My hats off to you for this rainy day post.
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