NEW BUS STOP
Apparently, there is a new bus stop that no one told me about. It is in the MIDDLE LANE on Lagoon Avenue just west of Hennepin Avenue. Let me explain.
I was running early on the 17 route so I sat at Uptown Station for almost 3 minutes. Finally, I was back on schedule so I pulled out. As I approached Lagoon Avenue, some teenage kid starts running toward me on Hennepin waving his arms wildly. It was rush hour and I was in traffic preparing to turn right onto Lagoon. You really need to watch this turn since not-so-bright people on your left want you to use only one lane...which isn't possible with a 40 foot bus. You have to make sure they see that you will be turning into the 2nd lane and they will have to turn into the third. Then we keep the wheel cranked so we end up in the first lane. I shook my head at the kid and kept driving with the flow of traffic. This kid sprints around the corner and into the street. I slowed to a crawl, watching so I didn't get rear-ended. This kid was at the front corner of the bus pounding on the front window. I was pissed. I stayed toward the middle lane and shook my head at him. Some woman on the bus said "Open the door. He might be late for work." I said "Absolutely not! I'm not promoting this stupidity. If I open the door, he's much more likely to pull a stunt like this again. If he knows he won't get on, he's less likely to run into traffic again like this." I'm not sure if the kid heard me or what, but he finally got out of the traffic lane and onto the curb. I was pissed. I think most of the people on the bus understood my point and how a bus can't just stop in the middle of two lanes of turning traffic for some fool that decides to catch the bus in the middle of the street. We can't do that.
The real kicker came when I got to the layover. I was just finishing my layover and there was the kid. I guess the bus after me went to Target Knollwood. He must have walked from there. I was getting ready to pull off and I saw him crossing the street in front of me. I wanted to get off the bus and explain why I didn't open the door but I didn't get a chance. He flipped me off. I just waved. He flipped me off again. I waved at him again.
Not all stories have a happy ending.
I was running early on the 17 route so I sat at Uptown Station for almost 3 minutes. Finally, I was back on schedule so I pulled out. As I approached Lagoon Avenue, some teenage kid starts running toward me on Hennepin waving his arms wildly. It was rush hour and I was in traffic preparing to turn right onto Lagoon. You really need to watch this turn since not-so-bright people on your left want you to use only one lane...which isn't possible with a 40 foot bus. You have to make sure they see that you will be turning into the 2nd lane and they will have to turn into the third. Then we keep the wheel cranked so we end up in the first lane. I shook my head at the kid and kept driving with the flow of traffic. This kid sprints around the corner and into the street. I slowed to a crawl, watching so I didn't get rear-ended. This kid was at the front corner of the bus pounding on the front window. I was pissed. I stayed toward the middle lane and shook my head at him. Some woman on the bus said "Open the door. He might be late for work." I said "Absolutely not! I'm not promoting this stupidity. If I open the door, he's much more likely to pull a stunt like this again. If he knows he won't get on, he's less likely to run into traffic again like this." I'm not sure if the kid heard me or what, but he finally got out of the traffic lane and onto the curb. I was pissed. I think most of the people on the bus understood my point and how a bus can't just stop in the middle of two lanes of turning traffic for some fool that decides to catch the bus in the middle of the street. We can't do that.
The real kicker came when I got to the layover. I was just finishing my layover and there was the kid. I guess the bus after me went to Target Knollwood. He must have walked from there. I was getting ready to pull off and I saw him crossing the street in front of me. I wanted to get off the bus and explain why I didn't open the door but I didn't get a chance. He flipped me off. I just waved. He flipped me off again. I waved at him again.
Not all stories have a happy ending.
posted by Jeanne Ree at 1:54 PM
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