Thursday, April 05, 2007
MLHB: The Transiting
From yesterday’s ride home:
I’ve gotten on the bus and picked an in-facing seat - not my usual, but a good one nonetheless. I don’t really check to see who is sitting across from me - all I really notice is that my chosen seat is one down from my usual, on a small separate “two-fer” bench halfway back, with another empty space to the right. Perhaps my failure to look across the aisle is careless but it’s been a long enough day already. I get settled and then glance up to see, across from me, a white man, a little stocky, with noticable shaveshadow. And also: he’s shaved bald. He’s wearing headphones. And a leather coat.
So am I.
Oh My God.
We’re the Midbus Leather Headphone Baldies.
Should I get up? All the other good seats are taken, and it would be so… obvious. I decide to play it down and act like nothing’s wrong. Technically, I’m right, but it still feels weird.
I haven’t yet really looked up from my book as I write these notes. An unusually attractive young woman takes the seat next to me and slips on her headphones too. This may yet turn out not badly.
We’re passing another bus.
We’re already at Van Ness.
We’re already at Fillmore.
We’re already at Diviz.
At home, Kel’s putting pizza in the oven. It’ll be ready when I get there. And the beer is already cold. This is turning out to be a pretty good bus ride, despite my proximity to my fellow MLHB. It made me uncomfortable at first but now I’m getting to be okay with it. My regular seat has just opened up a few feet to my left, but I think I’ll just hang here for the duration. Maybe there’s something to being a Midbus Leather Headphone Baldy after all.
