"Surviving Baltimore's brutal public transit"

4/24/07

 Is it even possible to complete more then one task per day without a car? 

 It's absolutely grueling  to be without a car in Baltimore, regardless of the neighborhood you live in. Yesterday,  I needed to get to Hampden, a working class section of Baltimore city. Regretably, this would involve another potentially traumatic round trip on the #8 bus.

I boarded the extremely crowded bus at about 12:15 p.m.  I like alot of personal space, but I know it's  not an option so I try not to get upset about being pressed against some sweaty stranger's body! On this particular day, immediately upon boarding there is a verbal fight  in progress. Admittedly  it can be difficult to discern a loud conversation from a fight.

As I attempt to WALK  to my seat, the bus jerks forward and I end up FALLING  into my seat (inadvertently brushing against the woman next to me) She quickly turns her head to the extreme right as opposed to a more natural position of facing forward. I said: "Pardon me maam for brushing against you."

"Don't you maam me, dis ain't no military!" she replied.

I think it's fair to say that, a rider who is new to Baltimore's bus culture, will likely find it extremely disturbing.  But I've been doing this off and on for 13 years, and I know not to take the abuse personally. It can take years of practice to not internalize the cruel way that people treat each other.

A man in a wheelchair in the front of the bus is yelling at a group of people in the back of the bus, they in turn, yell back. Most of the "conversation" is unintelligible to me. The apparent "fight" results in the bus driver loudly reprimanding the man in the wheelchair. She yells: "You will stop that yelling or you can get off at the next stop!" He screams in return..... something to the effect of: "Oh yeah, try to make me!" Meanwhile, between all of the screaming , the man in the wheelchair is undressing every female passenger under 50 with his eyes! He gazes at me for long periods hoping I'll pay attention to him.

"Fights" between driver and rider are common. Yet, despite all of the threats drivers make, they're all pretty much empty.   Personally, I think the drivers are afraid of retaliation, therefore don't make good on their threats. I know of many unpublicized knife and gun attacks towards drivers.

A 70 year old woman "high" on heroin (i don't personally know alot about drugs and their effects) gets on the bus with a 40 year old man who also appears to be high on heroin. They appear to have fallen asleep while standing up. Most people on heroin, appear to me to be dozing with their heads usually tipped very low. Meanwhile, the woman who has just sat down on the other side of me says to me: "Tell her that she can sit down" I asked the woman: "Are you giving up your seat?" "She's asleep or high, how am I supposed to get her attention?"  She didn't answer me.

"Maam" the woman next to me called out, "would you like to have my seat?" "No." The high woman replied. The woman seated next to me again beckons me to ask the high woman another question. "Ask her where she got her onyx." I didn't. The bus is very hot and the driver yelled: "It already 85 degrees in here!" I believe she was implying that we better not piss her off because she's already hot as hell!

The 5 mile trip feels like 50 miles.....................but as usual I survive it, (if not barely!) then transfer to bus 22. Luckily, my trip on bus 22 ends after about 1 mile. I disembark from the bus with tremendous appreciation for sun, fresh air, personal space and my person still in one piece!

"this town's in shmatters, I'm in tatters!" Mick Jagger croons!"