Wednesday, March 7, 2012

just thuggin around. white out style.

spotted: 30 somethin' year old guy with a jansport backpack. all over it: "thug-life" and "chulo por vida." my favorite is the obvious THUG-LIFE written in whiteout.

Monday, February 27, 2012

where did all the freaks go?

i was going to post complaining about the lack of lifeloveandmasstransit worthy things happening in my life. but then i remember the last time it was worthy, i almost got stabbed.

post-worthy things will happen again when they're ready. i just have to be patient.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

are we there yet?

i apologize for the lack of humor as of late. i've been shaken up pretty badly by my encounter with the crazy that followed me home. i close my eyes and all i can see are those crazy eyes coming at me.

the picture for this guy doesn't tell very much. i started taking a new bus (same route, different time) and it's pretty clear that they know this man. i don't feel threatened by him. he seems to mentally deficient in his own right. large puffy orange jacket.. loves to talk. and above all, loves to pull peoples head phones out of their ears to wish them a good morning, bid them a good day, and ask 'are we there yet?'

this morning he is sitting up by the bus driver. we're in the midst of some stop and go traffic and i can hear him saying, "oh you shouldn't go now," "ok, accelerate, GO!" everytime we have to move forward or stop.

i think my favorite part of the conversation is hearing him say to the bus driver? "are we going to die? we ARE going to die. MR. BUSDRIVER... y'know how we're gonna die?!"

-insert long pause-

"no. how are we going to die?"

-another long pause-

..

....

"BALLS. death by balls."

and then he got off the bus.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Monday, February 6, 2012

hatelifeandmasstransit

(let me start by apologizing for the zero pictures included with this update. it was not safe to take them)

today started like any other day. in fact, the ride in to downtown was really mellow. after work.. instead of heading home, i headed further downtown for my acupuncturist. typically, i walk (roughly 1 mile) to the acupuncture office. i encounter many oddballs along the way as third ave is one big bus stop. BUT, i've never had problems with anyone or felt threatened. I should have known that something would go wrong. i didn't see one single weirdo during my walk. it was very dissatisfying. i got done with my appointment at about 7:15. instead of having jay pick me up as usual.. i decided to bus home. i got lost for a few minutes, as i had never been to this particular bus stop before. even though i was downtown, the second and lenora bus stop feels out of the way. remote. it would have been desolate had it not been for the man mumbling to himself and occasionally punching the bus stop sign. this, i thought i could handle. i looked at one bus away and realized that i would be waiting for the bus for at least 30 minutes. i called jay. i was explaining my tardiness and talking about the bus schedule when a lone man approached me. i had not previously noticed he was there. i honestly didn't know he was there until he popped up less than a foot from me screaming, "DON'T YOU FUCKING TALK ABOUT ME!!!" i stared at him, bewildered. what could possibly have given this man the impression that i was speaking about him? i hadn't even made eye contact with him until he was screaming at me. i looked at him confused and said, "HUH? i'm..i'm not speaking about you?" he stepped closer as if he was going to grab me and repeated, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO FUCKING TALK ABOUT ME!!!"

at this point jay realized something was wrong as he was still listening on the other end of the line. he asked if i could move to a safer location. i didn't know where I was going but i figured if I started walking down second ave, i could find a route that would take me home. i walked fast, slightly panicking. I arrived at the next stop a few blocks over. it was well lit, there were lots of people.. and for a minute i felt safe again. and then i looked at the available routes sign. i was on the same street but none of the buses would take me where i needed to go.

i picked up my pace and started looking for a new stop. in a three block walk I stumbled across a hooker and pimp fighting and an illegal game of ceelo on the sidewalk. i finally arrived at a familiar stop that i knew could get me home. i sat down a few feet from a woman that was clearly doing drugs at the bus stop. we both knew that she knew that i knew exactly what she was doing. heroin, really? isn't that for behind closed doors? i figured, as long as she's hurting herself and not me.. I'll be fine. suddenly a drunk woman approached and sat on me. i pushed her a little and managed to get her off of me and a few inches over (there was an entire bench next to me. i'm not sure why she chose to sit where i clearly was.)

i thought to myself: it's just 20 minutes. what else could possibly happen?!

and then the man that threatened me suddenly popped up, eating fried chicken and pacing back and forth in front of me. i was very far from our original altercation. how did he find me? i hadn't noticed him following me. i tried to pretend i didn't know he was there. that is, until he stopped directly in front of me and started waving his hands in my face. i took out my headphones. he says, "i'm sorry about earlier. i'm sorry i yelled." and for a moment, he looked sad. lonely. apologetic. "it's just been a bad four or five days," he continued. suddenly, his face contorted and he had this psychotic look in his eyes again. "actually, it's been a bad 45 years." at this point, he looked like he was going to rip my face off again. i could feel the uneasiness rising in my chest. i suddenly felt as if i was in a very small room closing in around me. he continued to hover around me.

my bus arrived. i thought to myself, 'finally the end is near.' and then.. he followed me onto my bus. at first, he sat a few seats in front of me, watching me. it took everything in me not to burst into tears. tears were welling in my eyes. naturally, it had to be the smallest bus available. suddenly, he decided three rows in front of me wasn't enough and he moved to the seat across from me, continuing to stare with these maniacal eyes. i told jay to meet me at the bus stop. i was so freaked out at this point, i could feel the guy plotting my death in his head. he continued to stare the rest of the ride. i wasn't even sure that i would make it off the bus without being attacked.

as my stop approached, i wasn't sure what was going to happen. and just as nonsensically as he started harassing and following me.. he simply gave me a crazy look as I got off the bus and let me be. this guy srsly just wanted to mindfuck me.. and that he successfully did.

i'm still paranoid that he figured out where i live and is waiting outside. in all my eight months of mass transit, i've never been scared for my life like that.

i will be getting myself some protection. tonight is just a reminder that it's not all fun and games.. there is hatelifeandmasstransit, too.

shoe optional?

it's not like she couldn't afford shoes. i saw shoes in that giant bag she's carrying. yet she felt compelled to walk around the wet, muddy bus in those slipper socks. she then propped her lil tootsies up right next to my face. i only got the opportunity to take this when a seat opened up and I could move out of foot funk whiffing range.