FELICIA
Today I had this loser get on totally drunk...It was just before 10AM. He claimed that he lost his transfer and I told him he would have to pay a fare. He argued that he had a transfer. I told him I would have no way of knowing if he did or not. All I knew is that he got on my bus and hadn't paid a fare. I told him he is responsible for keeping track of his transfer...Not me. If I gave everyone a free ride that claimed they lost their transfer...Or gave me any of the gazillion other excuses we get on an average day...The bus fares would probably double because everyone would be coming up with a story. As usual, some kind lady offered to pay his fare. I told her that is not fair to her and that is why some of these people do it. There seems to always be a good hearted soul on the bus ready to pick up the slack for them. I told her to keep her money and the drunk got off the bus. I thanked her, but tried to explain that nice people like her are the ones the losers are counting on. Therefore, her kindness actually makes the problem worse. If they KNEW no one would be allowed to pay their way they wouldn't even try it.
This guy, for some reason, made me think of the girl I call Felicia. She's a crackhead that reminds me of the crackhead chick on the movie "Friday". I was driving the bus down Nicollet Mall one day and Felicia got on. She walked right past me and started asking people for money. Speaking to her back, I told her panhandling on the bus was illegal and she'd have to get off. Before she did, a couple kind souls had given her some money. She turned around and walked off the bus like she was in a daze.
One of the ladies that gave Felicia some money looked shocked. She said "I want my money back! I thought she needed a bus fare!" I tried to explain that she just gave her her hard earned money for drugs. I decided to let it go since the crack chick was off the bus.
On my way back down the Mall in the opposite direction, guess who got on the bus!!! Felicia again asked people for money. She totally ignored me telling her, again, it was illegal to do that. I got kind of pissed that she just acted like I wasn't there and made no move for the door. She just kind of stood there looking pitiful hoping for more drug money from strangers. I had enough. I called the Control Center. When Felicia heard me talking to them, she exited the bus. I told the Control Center that this girl must be doing this on ALL the buses in both directions. I gave her description and they said the Transit Police would attempt to find her.
On my way back down the Mall the third time, I saw Felicia sitting in the back of the Transit Police car...WOO HOO!! (A round of applause for another fine job done by the Transit Police, please.) Then the officers came to my bus and pulled the tape recording of the incidents. They told me they had found a crack pipe and other paraphernalia on her and she already had a trespass notice so she was going to jail. One officer told me they had been dealing with her for something like TEN YEARS! He said if he showed me a picture of her way back then I wouldn't believe it. He said she was a very beautiful girl.
Hard to believe, because she looks (and smells) kinda like a wet dog now!
This guy, for some reason, made me think of the girl I call Felicia. She's a crackhead that reminds me of the crackhead chick on the movie "Friday". I was driving the bus down Nicollet Mall one day and Felicia got on. She walked right past me and started asking people for money. Speaking to her back, I told her panhandling on the bus was illegal and she'd have to get off. Before she did, a couple kind souls had given her some money. She turned around and walked off the bus like she was in a daze.
One of the ladies that gave Felicia some money looked shocked. She said "I want my money back! I thought she needed a bus fare!" I tried to explain that she just gave her her hard earned money for drugs. I decided to let it go since the crack chick was off the bus.
On my way back down the Mall in the opposite direction, guess who got on the bus!!! Felicia again asked people for money. She totally ignored me telling her, again, it was illegal to do that. I got kind of pissed that she just acted like I wasn't there and made no move for the door. She just kind of stood there looking pitiful hoping for more drug money from strangers. I had enough. I called the Control Center. When Felicia heard me talking to them, she exited the bus. I told the Control Center that this girl must be doing this on ALL the buses in both directions. I gave her description and they said the Transit Police would attempt to find her.
On my way back down the Mall the third time, I saw Felicia sitting in the back of the Transit Police car...WOO HOO!! (A round of applause for another fine job done by the Transit Police, please.) Then the officers came to my bus and pulled the tape recording of the incidents. They told me they had found a crack pipe and other paraphernalia on her and she already had a trespass notice so she was going to jail. One officer told me they had been dealing with her for something like TEN YEARS! He said if he showed me a picture of her way back then I wouldn't believe it. He said she was a very beautiful girl.
Hard to believe, because she looks (and smells) kinda like a wet dog now!
posted by Jeanne Ree at 2:30 PM
4 Comments:
Ooh, bus driving seems like a pretty tough job. I'm not belittling you or anything, I just think that it must be tough. People are always honking behind buses because they don't drive fast (aka over the speed limit), and all that jazz. Good job on handling the crackhead.
how come everyone thinks I do crack.........
well, then again if you read my blog you might get that impression..............
new post to get you into my sort of thing btw.
Well, crack'll do that to you.
Well... uh... that's what I hear at least....
Desktop - Yes, Even my older sister whines about buses "cutting in" in front of cars. I tried to explain that they don't have quick acceleration like cars do. That's why people are supposed to yield to the buses entering traffic. If we had to wait for enough room to get in all the time, we'd never get anywhere!
Reaper - Felicia is your sister, isn't she??!! Didn't mean to "out" you and your habits!! hehe
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