What’s Your Favorite Public Transportation Story?

On a very crowded bus, a large and sweaty man began grinding his crotch against my butt. At first I thought it was a mistake because of the jerky movements of the bus and our close proximity, but when I heard him moaning (gross) I knew it was no mistake! I got off at the next stop. And by got off, I mean I exited the bus.

I am from Arkansas, where public transportation is not very common. So when I went to Europe for a semester of school, I embraced the public transportation system. Once, when I was on the train from Maastricht, The Netherlands to Amsterdam, a very eldery woman sat down right beside me, even though there were many empty seats. I smiled kindly at her and when she started to speak to me in Dutch, I shook my head and told her I only spoke English. She crinkled her nose and said "Filthy American," under her breath. I was actually used to this response so I just looked back out the window. Before I knew it, the woman was crying and apologizing to me in English. I told her it was fine and asked her why she was crying. "American's saved my life and here I am judging you without a second thought..." We struck up a conversation that lasted the whole train ride. Turns out she was a child during WWII and American soldiers helped her family.

I was vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and decided to save my taxi money for an evening trip and try the public bus, since it was mid-day and I wanted to be with the locals. At the second stop, which are quite random, the bus had a tough time getting moving. The fuel used in these buses caused pinging sounds upon acceleration and I wondered how successful I was going to be to get to my destination. It was a stop later that the completely full bus with the center isle also filled with people standing did not make it more than a few feet from where it pulled out. Since I had someone waiting for me at the other end, I asked the man next to me who happened to be a "Metro" man in uniform, "Does the driver call anyone?" He shook his head no. A young woman sitting on the other side was nursing her lovely daughter complete with pink bow taped to the top of her tiny head. Nobody was complaining or flipping out a hundred cell phones. It was quite normal 'business' apparently.

I was 6 months pregnant with my first daughter & dealing with SEVERE morning sickness. My husband & I got on the a city bus in Oklahoma City, OK. We went around the corner & I had to get off immediatly to get sick by the side of the road! It's now 19 years later & I've never forgotten the other bus drivers laughing at me as they drove by. All I could think about was the bus fare I'd just wasted! We didn't even recieve a transfer!

My very first time riding public transportation (other than a bus) was in Chicago. The L train was packed and my only seat option was in front of a man who was constantly coughing and sneezing... right into my hair. I swore that I had snot rockets in my do. I couldn't wait to get back to the hotel to wash my hair.

Not sure which one to tell. But will go with this one. First, I am handicapped and my friend who is in a wheelchair was with me. We were riding the HandiRide which is a large van with wheelchair locks. It was a beautiful sunny morning and our driver was on the interstate (I64)
in the city driving about 60 miles an hour. When I noticed his head was leaning on the window and he was headed for the ditch with traffic in all lanes. My friend and I were both buckled in. I screamed "Sir" twice and no answer. So I jump up the best I can - holding on to the bar in front and touch him. He jumps and says "Oh"
I ask if he is okay and he says yes - my friend and I talked nonstop all the way to our destination. He told us that he had worked all night at the 7-11 and then started driving with no sleep. Another time, the driver forgot to lock my friends wheelchair down -when he put on the brakes - she went flying and hit the wall of the van. Want more?

My husband and I were travelling in Australia with my then almost 2 year old daughter. We were in Sydney at the time and had spent a very long day touring around on various "Explorer" buses. My daughter was and still is a true Diva and the flirtiest of flirts. On the way home, she had the entire bus eating out of the palm of her hand. Out of nowhere, my daughter looks at me and starts crying and pointing to her mouth. I, thinking she had bitten her tongue or cheek went in for a closer look and my face narrowly missed the most vile projectile vomit ever seen! My clothes were covered, my daughter was covered, the seats were covered. I had one wipe and one half used tissue left at my disposal. My husband used his shirt to help mop up the mess. Unfortunately, vomit tends to break the flirty spell as not one of the bewitched passengers were able to come to our rescue with at least another half used tissue! It gave us a story though!

I was a smalltown boy in LA on the way to that famous oriental house party called by some the Vietnam War. My buddy Jim Jones and I were in the bus station waiting, when a fellow Marine comes in and says " anybody want a ride to LA for $5.00." Heck, that beat waiting on
a crowded bus. Armed with my Aunt & Uncles address: 2620 -226 St. in Torrance, we hopped our ride. Barreling down the free way, I saw the sign - 225 St. "Let us out here!" We two shaved head Marines climbed over the fence at about 9PM and set out on our forced march.
Who in the hell ever knew LA was so big, we arrived at my kins house at 7AM. They were at the kitchen table having coffee when these two shave head, convict looking characters banged on their door. Their eyes were as big as saucers as they peeked out the door. "Who
is it", my Aunt said with a somewhat frightened look on her face. "Barry, your nephew!" With
that , she swung open the door and gave us both big hugs. We were taken to Disneyland &
Knotts

Working two jobs in Baltimore, I was waiting on the bus home after working the swing shift at the Village of Cross Keys. When a car load of young black males pulls over to the bus stop
and one of them puts a 38 revolver in my face and says "We can kill you and there ain't nothing you can do." Well at this time the Black Panthers had a sort of war going on with the local police. And I looked like a policeman in my security guard get up, complete with badge, but no gun. But the young man was wrong, as I had a weapon called humor. I don't remember the scripture but somewhere in the Hebrew or Christian Word there is something to be said for humor essentially calming others. So, I started bantering with them about the fact that I was probably as poor as they were and had to work two jobs to make ends meet. I
don't remember all of the conversation, but they went away telling me to have a good night.
I think back that I could have been ignorant and said something nasty and been shot.Thanks

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!