So we have this "new" stroller policy, even though it's the exact same policy we've always had (the reason I've been enforcing it as much as I was last year), which is strollers have to be folded up before you get on the bus. That's right, you need to hold your baby with one arm, fold the stroller with the other arm, carry both up the stairs, and hope your other kids follow you. You also have you leave your shopping bags on the sidewalk, apparently. Anyway from the company's bulletins about it, all they say is (one) it came from a security committee meeting and (two) it kinda sorta helps out with Homeland Security (heh Homeland Security, a punchline in itself) by keeping the aisles clear (no it doesn't). Anyway the driver of the 18 bus ahead of me got mad at me for picking up a mother and not forcing her to fold her stroller. What? That was the third time I've heard from a driver that's it's federal law. I haven't seen that on any of the company's bulletins. Something about a train in Europe was blown up by a stroller with explosives in it. Actually this driver told me that the baby was "holding the dynamite." Anyway, I think it's stupid. So now I sorta halfass a "I'm required to ask that you fold that," as long as the aisle is kept clear.
Nicollet Mall. Old subject, I know, but does anybody care that the slow speed of the mall is probably a safety hazard? People run in front of my bus all day long. Usually without even looking in front of them. People don't run out into the middle of Hennepin without looking at quite the same frequency. Anyway, the mall blows. It's possible to make it work for both transit and pedestrians, but it doesn't work for either right now. Here's a reason I recently noticed: what's with the flower pots and various garbage cans and signpoles right up against the curb? They sure help with unloading passengers. What, am I supposed to unload a wheelchair into a large flowerbed during rush hour? Reason two: Why are the shelters in the middle of the block? To make it so you can only fit two buses at a time on a block? Is that why it's takes 30 minutes to get through downtown during rush hour? We have a new policy that I'm sure people will hate because Minnesotans are needy (definitely not nice, by the way) where we stop an extra 20 feet beyond the shelter. That could be improved to 'all the way to the crosswalk' but it's a start. I'm already getting complaints "wah wah you made me walk an extra 20 feet" while I'm rolling past them at 5 mph. People here are idiots.
A very old guy with a strong east African accents sat down in the peanut seats and looked at me for 10 minutes, then finally asked me where I'm from. He's from Indiana. That was the entire conversation.
I picked up a guy wearing a sweatshirt that read, "Gravity: It's not just a good idea, it's the LAW!" What?
Buy my baby something from this list.
Comments (10)
OK, dude. I hope you've noticed the larger-and-growing number of people with their strollers all folded up and ready to go when you pull up in your bus. I sure have. You can thank me and the other drivers who are enforcing that lame-ass rule later. Just like I'll have to thank the drivers who actually ask to see 98-yr-old ladies' IDs before they give them a reduced fare. I just think that as soon as there's a probability that our passengers will get asked to follow our policies, the more readily they actually will without being asked and the easier our jobs will be.
Posted by TL | November 3, 2005 9:51 AM
Posted on November 3, 2005 09:51
$315 crib sheets?
And I'm pretty sure what the kid puts IN the diaper is worse for the ozone than the diaper itself.
Posted by Chris D. | November 3, 2005 9:51 AM
Posted on November 3, 2005 09:51
Ooh, we posted at the same time.
I forgot to mention the other benefit of some drivers not asking people to fold up their strollers: the people who don't want to comply wait for the next bus to see if that driver won't make them! Love it! You can have them!
Posted by TL | November 3, 2005 9:56 AM
Posted on November 3, 2005 09:56
It's comforting to know that strollers can't explode if they're folded up.
Posted by Josh | November 3, 2005 12:22 PM
Posted on November 3, 2005 12:22
ryan, if you added a comment section to your shower post, people could leave an anon. comment if they bought something. if you and bethany don't look at, you'll still be surprised, and other people can know what is already purchased.
Posted by kp | November 3, 2005 1:12 PM
Posted on November 3, 2005 13:12
yeah actually chris that's a "crib set" which aren't sheets. the sheets are 30 bucks. and 320 dollars for a crib set that doesn't have winnie the pooh on it is a much better deal than the 290 dollar cribsets that do have winnie the pooh on them (at baby usa, the walmart of baby stores, cribsets range from 250 to 400)
i actually haven't seen anybody yet with their stroller already folded up. so far i'm 5 for 5 however in getting people to fold them just by saying "i have to ask that you fold that" which is amazing to me. i just meant that i'm following the policy, i'm just not going to walk back there with my ice pick to enforce it.
what are we going to do when somebody in a wheelchair bombs a train while not blocking the aisle?
Posted by ryan | November 3, 2005 9:21 PM
Posted on November 3, 2005 21:21
I keep waiting for the day when you pull up in the 10 to drive me to work. My bus driver the other day sucked. She delayed so long in helping this guy in a wheelchair get situated that the 10 bus behind up actually passed us up. Seriously we were there for like 8 minutes at one stop. I thought I was going to die. When it came time for the wheelchair guy to get off, I just got off and walked like five extra blocks to save time.
Posted by Anna | November 3, 2005 9:34 PM
Posted on November 3, 2005 21:34
That sucks.
The 10 doesn't run out of my garage. You might see me if you walked over to Johnson and took the 4 bus. That one's more fun anyway.
Posted by ryan | November 3, 2005 9:50 PM
Posted on November 3, 2005 21:50
Boy who would've thought that one day Ryan and I would be yammering back and forth to each other about crib sets.
Posted by Chris D. | November 4, 2005 3:51 PM
Posted on November 4, 2005 15:51
lol
--------Posted by ryan | November 5, 2005 1:18 AM
Posted on November 5, 2005 01:18