by Edward Bernard

Created on: May 15, 2008

Man, where is the damn bus? I'm going to be late for work.I wish I had a dollar for all the times that Detroit bus passengers muttered those immortal words.Some more vocal and profane than others.

From young kids to little old ladies I have heard every bad word known to man in describing the unbelievably bad bus service in the city. I have waited hours for a late bus. You would think that the bus driver would be understanding and apologetic. Not in Detroit. Hurry up and get on the bus and you kids sit your ass down or move to the back but whatever you do shut up or get out.

Then the driver turns up his radio so we can all hear his favorite music all the way to the end of the line. Now you are late pissed off the bus is packed the kids are yelling and the bus driver's twenty year old music is blasting.It's hot, the air conditioner on the bus doesn't work, and all of the windows except one are stuck and won't open.

The air is stifling hot and funky. Why me Lord? Out of all the buses in the city why did I get on the bus from hell. The thought had just left my mind when wham..A brick went straight through the only open window and struck a lady right in her head.

As I glanced out the window I could see a group of four little hoods running down the street. A guy that was standing near the front of the bus ordered the driver to stop and then flashed his badge in one hand and said something into his walkie talkie with the other.

Almost immediately two police cars pulled ahead of the young hoods arrested them and threw them into the back of a police wagon and sped off.

In the meantime the poor woman who had been hit in the head with the brick was writhing in pain as blood gushed from a cut above her brow. The faint wail of a siren suddenly became more pronounced as paramedics raced down Woodward Ave weaving in and out of traffic.

They finally got to the bus and took the poor victim away in the ambulance. The driver and several passengers gave a statement to the police.

The door of the bus closed the driver turned up the music the kids started talking and it was back to business as usual.By now the bus was so late that whenever we stopped herds of people got on the bus.

Each one wanted to know why the bus was late. The driver just gave them a look waved his arm and said, "Get your ass to the back of the bus shut up or get out".So the people pressed each other toward the back.

It was so crowded until people who wanted to get off the bus couldn't. No one could move and this driver was still picking up more people. The bus had started to lean heavily to one side and by now everyone was sweating and gasping for air.

It was at this moment that I realized this was not going to be a good day. As the bus inched away from the stop all of a sudden a beeping noise started coming from where the driver was sitting and then there was nothing. The bus stopped dead.

The driver tried to start it and instead of the roar of the diesel engine all I heard was a mixture of Earth Wind and Fire and the driver cursing the bus at the top of his lungs. Finally he turned around waved his arm and said,"Everybody off the bus,the bus won't start".I don't know about the rest of those people on the bus but the words thank you Jesus came to my mind.I would rather walk than ride this bus one more block. Just a typical day riding the bus

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