So I had a pretty uneventful ride to work but I sure didn't sit on any bus benches. I will for the sake of illustration say I take the X and the Y buses, and rarely the Z and a few others. I mainly utilize the others if I see them at the transit center I will jump on, say 'I'm not riding" fling a candy bag at them, jump off as they gape in shock. So they could all be the same route as far as I'm concerned even though it's several.
So I got to work and work was fine. The one manager was really bummed I wasn't "on the zone" again at 2 PM but I reminded him I will be "back" Thursday, Friday, and regular schedule from next week onward. He keeps "forgetting". I think it's cute? Maybe I am really good at it? Not sure but I left at 2.
And there was a wreck where I normally cross, I mean it had already happened. I was actually relieved because I thought the light was out when I saw the traffic and I would have been screwed. I crossed.
Yesterday there were 2 homeless people at "my" stop across from work and they were there again today very animated. I guess they saw it. I didn't want to deal with them to I turned away and was confronted with a naked man, clad only in a gaping hospital gown, passed out on the sidewalk going to the other bus stop. I had to step over him. I was Not Happy.
There were a couple of kids at the second bus stop they were very profane but harmless. I got to the transit center and got off, and this guy is laying on the bus bench that has the feces problem. It hit me: YOU'RE THE ONE CRAPPING ON THE BENCH. And he starts yelling "Hey gimme candy".
He is not mentally challenged just a butthead. The first time he asked for candy I gave him a bag, he put it in his backpack, asked for another one "for my brother" and ate both bags on the bus going to the social services office. So he's a liar. The second time he got in my face as I was trying to get on the bus, demanding candy, I gave him one just to get rid of him. Big mistake.
BUT I HAD ENOUGH. I am DONE with giving candy to homeless people. They don't read the material they just want the sugar buzz. So I said NO THIS IS ONLY FOR DRIVERS. He started complaining and shouting "Hey" at me again but I walked off. He didn't follow me.
I got to my bus shelter at the transit center (different route) and the bus pulls up. It is the "wrong" bus but he is being nice because his client can barely walk and she wants the "Y" bus stop. I jump on and say "A homeless guy wants your candy" and gave it to him. He laughed and lo and behold, out of nowhere ANOTHER homeless guy gets on the bus (I was off by this point) and talks to the driver for a couple minutes in a low voice, then gets off and says "That's not the Y Bus" which I already knew. But he didn't bother me.
The bus sign has the number for Metro Police so I put that in my phone book and then my bus came. I got on, gave her the last bag of candy, and asked if Metro Police will deal with a "homeless at the bus stop" problem. She thought about it and said yes.
She said, in fact, they just had training on a "Code 28". They are supposed to type in #28 if they see a homeless person living at a bus stop so the police can roust them (she didn't use the word roust). Good. Nice people don't want to ride the bus if they have to deal with filth, drunks, nudity, etc.
I swear, my part of town is just INFESTED lately.
On a positive note, there was a white guy on the X bus reading a Bible, 1 Corinthians to be exact, he was very intent so I didn't bother him.
I had a nice nap when I got home, with Spotty. He's a good boy.
That's it for now.
4 comments:
I have tried warning you over and over about the way you appear to others when handing out bags of candy. You are making yourself a target. I say this with decades of public transportation experience.
You give candy to every driver you can, including on buses you aren't even taking. Every person on and around those buses see this. Of course people will ask for candy or money or to use your phone or whatever. Then some will demand. Then some of those will respond when refused. Verbally or physically.
Your general safety awareness is way off. You draw unnecessary attention to yourself. Recently you described going to a supermarket in a neighborhood where you had to walk past two gangs and the sidewalks were a mess making it hard to get your cart through. Basically a bad neighborhood. These are the kind of neighborhoods where people are watching everyone, but especially outsiders. This was not the best place to buy one hundred full sized candy bars and then struggle along with the cart to the bus stop. I don't care how much money you saved. You work at Wal-Mart. You could have just bought them there on a night (or several nights if you wanted to break up the purchase) you had a ride home. Without the candy bars, you could have just brought a backpack to the grocery store and been way more mobile and had no distracting cart.
I really can't tell if you understand that you are being reckless with your safety and just don't care or if you just don't understand. I hope you reconsider some of your actions in public. If the drivers remember you, so do the riders.
OH I didn't get the candy bars at that grocery store, but the other one where I get 99% of my candy, and they were hidden on my cart going home.
What I did was go to ghetto grocery store for sausage, then my primary grocery store on the way home. So all they saw in the ghetto was me getting the sausage and that was only a couple pounds.
"My" grocery store (near the house mainly appeals to Black and Latino customers) is safe enough it is always very very busy.
I will keep handing out stuff to the drivers but not the homeless any more. I am sure that one guy will hassle me some but he'll give up eventually, and there are a lot of witnesses at the bus stop so I don't think he'll lay hands on me or anything.
EVERYONE knows you at the bus stop as the candy lady and they ALL talk about you. The Anoyn poster above is right but you go ahead and ignore them just like you do any and all suggestions to improve your life.
Well even if I was inclined to stop the horse is out of the barn already!
Gave candy to drivers only this morning. I didn't see the loud guy. We will see if I catch him coming home.
People are going to talk regardless.
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