READY FOR ANOTHER CONTEST?

Hope you are ready to try and find me again! I plan to start a new contest soon. I just ordered the prizes today. For those of you that are not familiar with the contest, here's how it works:

I give you the winning phrase to use to see if I am the bus driver. You go up to the bus driver and give the winning phrase and, if it's me, you win prizes! I drive many different routes because I give other drivers their vacations. You never know where I may be. You don't have to ride the bus to win. Just look for me driving...there are clues as to what I look like throughout the blog.

Friends, family and co-workers are not eligible. That just wouldn't be fair!

I will let you know when the contest starts, what the phrase is and what the prizes are SOON. I'm just waiting for the prizes to come to me in the mail so we can get this party started!

Stay tuned for the contest kickoff!

HEAR THE CHANGE

I was just leaving Hopkins on the 12 route. I pulled up to a bus stop and this girl came out of the shelter and came up the steps saying "I'm a quarter short..." I noticed something in the shelter and asked her if it belonged to her. She thanked me and ran to get it. As she, again, came up the steps of the bus she started in again "I'm a quarter short, is that okay?"

Now, I am female. We can hear money. Heck, we can almost smell it. Both times she got onto the bus, I could hear the change in the pocket of her hoodie. Not only could I hear the change, I could tell by the sound of it that there were at least two quarters in there. I told her I heard the change in her pocket and even pointed to the pocket with the change in it. She seemed shocked and tried to lie to me again. "I only have pennies." I heard no pennies. I'm guessing it was more like two quarters and possibly a dime. I simply told her the farebox took all change and left the ball in her court. She pulled out a quarter and threw it into the farebox. I popped up her transfer and said "Thank you" and left it at that.

She didn't seem too upset, but she was. As she got off in Uptown by McDonalds, she went on a rant. As she exited the front door she spat something like "Yes, I had money! Maybe next time you could have a little compassion, bitch. Fuck you!"

Yeah, sure. That's who I should have "compassion" for. Someone that repeatedly lies to me to cheat the fare and thereby steal from my employer...which is basically the tax payers! That's really fair to everyone that pays the correct fare day in and day out. Why should she be able to lie to me and then get mad at me when I catch her? She's funny. Typical. Lie, cheat and steal and then get mad at the person that busts you instead of taking a look in the mirror and correcting your ways.

Funny thing is, seems what she nearly left in the bus shelter was part of her uniform for her job at McDonalds. I was sooooo tempted to go in to HER job and harass HER when I got off work. "I want a Big Mac, but I'm a quarter short. Is that okay?" If she was on her job, she'd be only right to tell me I could afford a double cheeseburger instead. I decided to be the bigger person and not stoop to her level.

People are so funny...especially when they get caught!

EACH ONE CATCH ONE

I was doing the 11 route last week. I had this kid get on and try to use a Go-to card to pay the fare. It came up hot listed. I informed him that the card was reported lost or stolen and he couldn't use it. He handed it to me and said "Want it? You can have it. I just found it." I took the card and he paid his fare in cash.

While sitting at a red light, I looked at my card pertaining to these Go-to cards. It says if it is hot listed to have the Transit Police come get it. I called Control and told them the situation and they sent the police. In the meantime, my mind went on a little trip. I started thinking maybe the card was taken in a high profile crime! Maybe this kid was one of the muggers that have taken over the University of Minnesota area! Maybe he took it in a home invasion robbery! Then I came back to reality and thought...he said he found it. He probably did and the person who lost it reported it as lost and the card was turned off and flagged.

Then my mind went out there again...what if EVERYONE reported on what seems to be a small thing? Better yet, what if everyone reported crime every time they saw it instead of turning away and not getting involved? Maybe the criminals would realize they are the minority and don't have the power over the overwhelming number of GOOD people. I came up with the idea of "Each one catch one". If you have drug dealers, prostitutes or other obvious criminals where you live or work...report them...every time! If every decent person turned in a criminal, just think how many would be arrested! Sure, they might just move. Undoubtedly, they would move to where there are more decent people who, in turn, could turn them in. Eventually, they'd either earn an appropriate amount of jail time or just decide it wasn't worth it. Either way, they'd be out of our hair.

Here's a good example of something I did not too long ago. I live in a semi-rough area in Minneapolis. Most of my neighbors are good, honest and decent people. Every now and then, some idiot decides to rent a home to the losers. I had the guy across the street rent out his home to drug dealers. It was quite obvious what was going on. The home next door to them had a family with two little boys. I knew their mother was worried. She wrote down license plates and turned them in to the police about every week. That didn't seem to work. I thought I'd try to help before one of those kids got shot or something because of the nature of the "business" next door to them. I put up motion flood lights, pointed the motion sensor and lights up toward the drug house and it ruined their business. They were gone in about a month.

Do what you can. Be creative. Criminals are not that hard to outsmart. If they were smart, they wouldn't be criminals! If we had all the decent citizens "Each one, catch one" the streets would be safer and life would be much better for everyone! Just do it!

Amazing where my mind can stray when it goes out alone!

THE CLOWN

I had this clown on my bus the other day. No, really...he's a clown. He walks up and down Nicollet Mall in his clown costume and entertains people. He makes balloon animals and everything. I'd seen him many times. I just didn't recognize him when he got on my bus because he was not in his costume. He asked me if I had ever seen the clown on the mall and when I told him I had he let me know it was him. He gave me his business card.

It's good to see someone trying to make a legit dollar. There are so many people with their hands out these days it gets irritating. I know the economy sucks, but take a lesson from this guy. He got himself a clown costume, learned how to make balloon animals and do card tricks and put himself to work...for himself!

I know if I see him on the Mall, I plan to have him make me a balloon animal or do a card trick so I can give him some money and let him know he is appreciated. If you see him and you are able to, give him a couple bucks. He deserves it!

THE BUILDING CHANGES COLORS!

I saw the coolest thing while driving the 2 route. I pulled up to the bus stop near the construction going on at Fairview Hospital. They built this new building. When I drove by, it was purple! That's not the weird part. When I was crossing the highway approaching Riverside Avenue, the building was kind of a yellow-blue-green!

I was ready to sign up for a drug test! No building could change colors! On my return trip, I couldn't wait to go past that building again. Sure enough, it changed colors! I was so impressed, I started pointing it out to people on the bus. As we drove by, it changed from the yellow-blue-green to purple! How awesome! The passengers seemed as amazed as I was. I want that stuff on my house!

For those of you that are local, check it out! It's at 25Th avenue south and Riverside. You can take the Riverside exit off highway 94. The best time to see it is when the sun is out. It's just kind of dark at night and not at all impressive.

If you check it out, let me know what you think.

WHERE'S THE BARBER SHOP?

I get a lot of stupid questions from people. It's pretty much a daily thing. The most common one is "What time is the next....(route I'm not doing).....coming?" If I knew all the routes and what time each was going to be at any particular corner every hour of every day, just start calling me Rainwoman!

One guy cracked me up with his stupid question. The funny part is, he was serious!!

I was driving down Nicollet Mall. Keep in mind, the Twin Cities area has well over a million people and therefore, oodles of businesses. I opened the door and he asked me, "Where's the barber shop?" I asked him WHICH barber shop. He had no idea the name of it. To be honest, that probably wouldn't have helped me out anyway. I'm a girl. I go to Salons!

Trying to be helpful and not laugh at the guy, I asked if he knew the address or cross streets where the barber shop was. He had no idea. He said, "You know...the BARBER SHOP!" He actually seemed irritated that I didn't have any idea where this mysterious barber shop was. Worse yet, maybe I did and just wouldn't tell him!

There was really nothing I could do to help the guy. If I had been carrying a Yellow Pages, maybe I could. I'm just a bus driver! I apologized for not being able to help him and closed the door and went on my way.

Here's a tip - Find out where you are going BEFORE you leave the house! Don't depend on the bus driver...or anyone else....to be able to figure out where you are going.