The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers...

Sitting at 16th St station, watching a guy, wearing a TIGGER Backpack with a wooden snake on his belt, dance and leap on the train tracks! He says, pointing to folks, "I'm gonna dance for you and you (and to young woman) and ESPECIALLY you!" The young woman says," Oh HELL no-you ain't dancin' for me..." The guy bows, and just about gets hit wby the train coming from the other direction. It's Friday on the transit....

Give Me My Space!

I'm sitting casual on train, with my knee on the seat, reading. Big guy talking on his phone comes up to me, SNAPS HIS FINGERS, pushes my knee off and says "I'm sittin' here now." I retort- "You ARE? I don't think so. Keep your hands to yourself!!" He moves to the next seat and is still glaring at me with a look of death, as I type this. This may not end well... :)

The Sign of the Cat (g-r-r-r-o-w-l-l-l)

The woman who just sat down next to me this early morn, I SWEAR, has leopard spot tatoos on her leg! I can see it thru the holes in her jeans. It could just be leggings, but it SURE looks like tatoo. I can see the wrinkles of skin in the ink. Hard to tell exactly at this angle. Tryingnottostare, tryingnottostare, tryingnottostare...but I gotta know.

Random Faith

Approached by a young man named Jamiel, who is from South-Central LA, in drug recovery, trying to find a job and "looking for God to find the right woman for him." He wanted someone to pray with him...so we got off the LR at 16th...and we prayed.

Cool Tunes

There's a guy here at the LR station with a big radio shaped like an ice chest, blaring his music across the tracks. Wait a minute-it IS an ice chest! With a radio built into it! Cool! Loud and annoying...but cool!

If you hear a tone in your left ear, raise your left hand...

There's a guy who has his i-Pod hooked up to a pair of those old, square, brown headphones that they used to use when they gave us hearing tests in school, or when we listened to tapes in the library. Never thought they ranked in sound quality, but he seems to like them; he's rockin' out in the pre-dawn...

Do You Talk to Your MOTHER With That Mouth?

Two middle school(?)-aged girls are by the train door talking a fast mess of profanity-laced smack about their peers - "OMG! She is such a (blank)(blank) little d**che bag!" "Oh, I know! And he likes her and he's a (blank) (blank) d***chebag, too!" ...I turn and tell them to keep it down: That request did not go over well with the pint-sized mean queens. :)

The Bond That Unites

Two guys, who appear to be strangers, sitting near each other, notice that they are wearing identical (same color, style) pullover winter caps! One guy saunters over to the other and says, "Nice HAT." They laugh and introduce themselves. An offer to share a smoke later is accepted. Friendships created on public transit...

Lipstick on a...

Yet another instance of a woman sitting across from me applying make up, while also balancing a bouquet of lillies on her lap. While I try not to stare, she sees me observing her and asks, "It's not helping, is it?" :)

I'm On the Outside Looking In...

The young woman sitting across from me, Melissa, sees me on my BB and asks me if I can get her a job. She is crying-hasn't had work in 2 years. Says she is "...tired of being on the outside of life, and I want to be on the inside." She was very sweet, and earnest. Insisted I take her number. Wish I could help her. Maybe I will.

I'm Like Totally, WhatEVER...That's Hella-Bad

Two young girls on the home-bound train: "You always say 'ya know' everytime you talk!" "No I don't! I never say 'ya know'!" "Yes you do! I should make a video of you doing it!" "Ya know, that's really rude when--" "SEE? You just said it AGAIN!" Girl turns away from her friend, pouting...

Breaking Up is Hard to Do...But Worth Sharing With the World

Someone has written on the train window - in deep red lipstick - "COCO NO LONGER LOVES SNOWFLAKE."

Hooked on Sweets

Proclamation from a man sitting on the train and nervously chomping candy out of a wet paper bag: "I used to be addicted to drugs...now I'm addicted to SKITTLES!"

Strummin' My Pain With His Fingers...

The young man sitting next to me ("Crazy Nate") has pulled out his guitar and is giving us an toe-tapping, acoustic performance ("My girl...whoa-whoa...my girl. Not even the words of this song will reach out to you from me..."). He's actually pretty good. Crazy Nate says his goal in life is to keep playing his guitar so he doesn't go crazy and rob a bank.

Broken Hearts and Hallways

Cellphone conversations I can't HELP but overhear as i ride the train today: Guy pleading with girl to forgive him for missing Valentine's Day ("Baby, sorry I forgot your flowers and candy, baby. You're my valentine EVERY day, baby")...and other guy aruging about his home remodel ("The color of the tile in the entryway HAS to match the color in the hallway!!!") Dueling priorities on the rails...

It's Sad to Listen, Sometimes...

Listening to a guy on the phone, a parolee, as he finds out he has to move out of his new apt. today - after only 3 days there - because he didn't list his past felonies on the rental application. He's now panicked, trying to contact his attny. to see if he can get his security deposit back and his stuff out. Sad what things you can overhear sometimes, riding the train...

We don't care (Kiss-Kiss) How Odd it Looks (Kiss-Kiss)

There is a couple sitting nearby me on the train who are making out FEVERISHLY, totally oblivious (ah, love) to the stares of all of the rest of us sitting nearby. HE looks about 20; SHE looks about 50, which makes it akwardly interesting to watch, in a Jerry Springer-ish kind of way. Wonder if they'll keep this up until the end of the line...

Lift Your Glasses To My New Life Plan!

Woman on the Light Rail talking to her friends - "First I'm goin' to school, then I'm gonna get a job, and then...I'm gonna start goin' to church! But I gotta stop drinkin' so much Jack Daniels every day...God doesn't like that!"

Thank God No Bald Spot!

Young guy walks right up to my seat on the train, RUNS HIS HANDS QUICKLY THRU MY HAIR (!!!) and says "I love your hair and your beard! You should be the 'after' picture on a 'Rogaine For Men' bottle!!" I'm flattered. But I'm more SHOCKE than flattered. People are unbelievable... :)