What’s Your Favorite Public Transportation Story?

Everyone knows the advantages of working for the airlines; but it doesn't always make you special. One of my many jobs was working for United in reservations. I couldn't wait to take that first bonus trip to Miami! After fallling in love with South Florida, I headed back to D.C. The flight was late leaving (even in "those days"). I was the only non-paying passenger getting off, so we overflew D.C. and went to Philadelphia. I was not a seasoned traveler and had no idea what to do next. I called my Dad and he suggested "take a bus for the 'short trip' home". At this point, you have to understand . . . my youth was spent being relatively protected. At age 21, my Dad told me to sit near the driver so I would not be accosted.

"Oh my god, what could happen on a bus?" My mind raced. I found Trailways and hopped on the next bus to D.C. -- which (unknowingly to me) stopped at every cow town inbetween. And the driver? Well, he 'hit on me' all the way! Thanks Dad!

Falling asleep on the 1 train late at night (ok, I guess I was drunk). I had a Village Voice on my lap. Everyone who got on the train asked if they could read it. I would wake up briefly, say "uh, sure" then fall asleep again. This happened for at least 4 passengers (that I recall). Luckily no one took advantage of my stupidity and I woke up at my stop.

I was on a bus in San Francisco and a man got on and every inch of him was covered with leopard print, leather, and fur. He had cat ears and wild, bushy hair. Once on the bus, he started swinging from the poles and bars. He laid across three seats in a position a cat would assume when sleeping. I think he really believed himself to be an animal. Crazy. Even crazier? No one even gave him a second glance. San Franciscans are so used to freaky things - nothing fazes us. He was in his cat world and the rest of us were reading and listening to our iPods. I love this city!

As a young 10 year old girl, living in the city of Chicago, I had to take the streetcar all the way to the South Side for tutoring in reading. On my way back one day, the streetcar was crowded with only one seat left, which was next to me. A homeless man (we called them Hobos back then) got on the streetcar and proceeded to sit next to me with a rooster on his shoulder! I couldn't move, there was no other seat available, and I had to sit next to a smelly rooster and a stinky man for at least 45 minutes all the way to the near North side of the city. I arrived home to tell my mother, totally forgetting anything that I was supposed to have learned with the tutor on the South side of Chicago at the Illinois Institute of Learning.

Houston, circa 1987...sharing a cab with three strippers, who work at a gentlemen's club known as Bogie's, one Saturday night. We ended up at a Denny's restaurant aroun' 6:00 am Sunday morning. It was a memorable adventure.

Check this out:
http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22361/41738-noo-yawk--noo-yawk
True subway story, another wild night on the IND!

check this out:
http://editorial.divinecaroline.com/article/22325/40921-subway-stripper--smell-it-
'nuff said.

It's not my story, but a friend had a man rub his package against her shoulder (an act called frottage) while riding the N Judah. Ew.