Back Door Please #nycmta 02.28.17

As we all know .. I've been taking the bus to work for the past five years. After a while I noticed the M103 pulls into a bus stop in Chinatown with the back door lined up with a tree grading. On the average passengers have to squeeze by and/or jump over this thing to get out the back door. On some days there is a pile of garbage making it more difficult to exit off the bus.

First of all .. there is plenty of room in front of the bus allowing  the bus driver to pull up (trust me I check every time). Second .. If I was a passenger getting off via back door and saw an obstacle course when the doors opened I would walk my butt right to the front door and give the bus driver a piece of my mind before exiting. MTA want us to pay all this money (yes $2.75 is a lot of money) for crappy service; cold buses in the winter, long waits no matter the weather, crowded buses and have to deal with the occasional disgruntle bus driver. I've made several complaints to MTA about this matter and of course they send the generic response: we will have someone look into it. Well I can tell you .. no one has looked into it because it is still happening and has been happening for years. Perhaps I am the only one who is bothered by this and therefore they aren't taking my complaint (since it's probably the only one). It really is shame they don't care about the safety of their passengers and allow this to continue from day to day God knows how many times. If you don't want to take my word for it .. here are some photos I've taken through the years to back up my complaint. And yes I've sent these pics to MTA. I even have a few videos. Please ... check them out below:

Again ... NYCMTA ought to be ashamed of themselves. I guess they want to wait until someone takes a leap off the bus and end up hurting themselves. I pray that never happens ... but just in case it does remember you heard it first with my #nycmtachronicals .. and please .. hook a sistah up with a donation. Until next time .. be good and BACK DOOR PLEASE!! 

Lying ass NYCMTA ... #nycmtachronicles 02.24.17

We all will agree the weather has been wonderful this week in New York. We will also agree this is not the norm for February. Now let me see if I can get you to agree on this ... NYCMTA are a bunch of lying ass . Check this out ...

For the last five years I've been taking the bus to work. I take two buses in the morning and two buses in the evening. Yes my commute is much longer but y'all know I hate the subway and refuse to take it unless I absolutely have to. Y'all also know that's another rant but back their lying asses. This week I've been on at least four buses that had the AC blasting. Every year around October/November when it's cold outside I always had to ask the bus driver to put the heat on. They always have the same response, "The bus hasn't been converted over to heat. Once it's converted you can't go back to AC." Then December rolls around and the buses are still cold. I'd ask for heat and they say it was already on or it wasn't working. I find it very strange when a warm day comes during the winter ... the AC is blasting. Can somebody, anybody explain that to me?

First of all .. it is not hot enough to have the AC blasting on any damn bus during the winter. I was damn near shivering in my seat today while cold air blowed on me. All dem damn buses should still be on heat! No way in hell y'all converted buses off a few warm days .. Just thinking and typing this is pissing me off again. I so want to tell them to take them cold ass buses and shove it where the sun doesn't shine but my momma wouldn't like that because she raised me right. It's bad enough I have to feel cold wind from the open windows due to people having their own private summer or experiencing a heat weave. Lady got on last night and opened the window as far as it could go. Her damn hair was blowing like she was in a drop top and of course when she got up to get off she left it open. It might have been fifty something degrees outside last night but between the AC blowing and that open window ... I needed a North Face on that bus. I think I am going to revamp that song ... Hey bus driver .. speed up a little bit to  .. Hey bus driver .. turn up the heat a little bit!!!

Y'all be safe out there and stop dropping all that damn change in the fare box .. GET A METRO CARD!!! Holding us up from getting on.

Walker in the back #nycmtachronicles 02.21.17

One Tuesday I get on the bus to find a lady sitting at the back of the bus with an open walker. Now what puzzled me was the bus was empty. All of the designated handicapped seats were available. What even puzzled me more was .. HOW THE HELL YOU GOT UP THERE? The fact you're using a walker tells me you are limited with your walking and balance hence you needing the walker. In order to get back there you had to go up two steps. How did you do it with the walker? My theory is .. if you can do all of that then you don't need a walker. I then began to wonder why did you think this was a good idea. There is limited space in the back and now all of it is used up with your walker. We already have to squeeze by and step over back packs, book bags, briefcases and feet from the kids/grown men who want to slouch in the seats. So because you're in denial of being handicapped we have to walk an obstacle course on the bus. Which leads me to another question. 

I understand a person who is handicapped wanting to be treated like everyone else but lets face it .. some of you aren't. I know it's pride. I'v experienced the same thing with my grandfather. He doesn't want to use his walker when he goes outside. However he doesn't understand that the walker will prevent him from falling should one of his dizzy spells occur. I remember a lady who had difficulty waking was getting on the bus and misjudged the distance getting off the curb and fell. You could tell by the way she walked she needed either a cane or a walker. PEOPLE c'mon we have to do better ... God willing I will one day be there too. When that time comes, I'm gonna need one of you youngins to show me this post 😂. I too I will be in denial. Shoot I will probably try to roll my wheelchair to the back of bus to get to my favorite spot. But anywho ... 

Soooo my friends and I were curious to see how she was going to get off the bus. Unfortunately they got off before her and it was left up to me to find out. When it was time for me to get off she folded the walker some asking if I had enough room to get by. Because I was raised right ... I smiled and said yes. Meanwhile I was having another conversation in my head. While  standing up front waiting for my stop she gets up. Keep in mind the bus was moving, she had to push the walker and hold on. Now unless she was Grandma Houdini this wasn't going to work. Sometimes the bus is going so fast I can barely walk down the isle not to mention the jerking you do because the bus driver is hitting the breaks.  Anyway .. because that alone is a #nycmta rant. Just when she got the walker to the first step, she stopped to hold on causing the walker to start rolling. I almost missed my stop looking to see how she was going to get down them steps. While she stood there holding on with one and trying to hold the walker, young man got up and put the walker down the steps for her. Instead of getting off she goes and sit in the single seat. Really? No seriously .. really? I was officially done! I so wanted to go over to her and ask her, "Why the hell you didn't sit in the front?" It truly would have been worth me missing my stop but I didn't only because my momma raised me right. All I could think was how I truly hoped it was a one time thing and she doesn't become a regular in the back of the bus. Me and my friends already has the back of the bus locked down. She needs to keep her tail up front. God forbid something happens and we have to get off the bus in a hurry .. we might just die trying to climb over her walker and/or helping her get off the bus from the back. Because she wanted to sit back there with a walker we had to rescue her. Should that happen I will forget how my momma raised me and channel my Kevin Hart while shouting, "You have to be a part of your own rescue!" from outside the bus. Just in case you couldn't picture it ..  I'll give you the visual. 

Walker in the back!

Until next time .. Be safe and save time by having your Metro card in your hand before boarding .. 

Good Morning ...

 Just wanted to drop by and say hello. Hoping everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I'm patiently waiting for 2017. Although 2016 wasn't a bad year overall ... I ready to be done with it. I'm excited to see what 2017 has in stored for me. I know I am ready ... Are you?

I RISE ...

Weeks ago I had a photo shoot with an amazing photographer. Last night I received the prints and wow. Yall know that I am Ms. Creativity so I had to find a way to show them off. I knew I wanted to do a video but I didn't know what song to use ... While watching tv and seeing the preview to an upcoming show .. the song came to me. I put everything together and as I watched the video for the first time ... I cried. I cried because I saw the little white girl with blonde pig tails who was teased, picked on made fun of rise into a beautiful talented woman. I am not defined by my past nor should I be judged by my mistakes. Like a bird taking flight .. I soar. Like the tallest mountain .. I stand high. Like the universe .. I am endless. Through it all the good and the bad, I keep my head up .. I stand tall. And just like the sun every morning .. I rise. Special thank you and shout out to Nyree Cyrus for capturing these moments. It was a pleasure and I look forward to working with you again. #womenrock

#nycmtachronicles 12.09.16

The Bowels of Hell 
Today I left work early in order to take care of some things. While I waited twenty minutes in the cold for the bus I realized two things: it was one hundred and ninety three days until summer and there wasn't a bus in sight. Wanting to hurry up and get home before my ass froze to death I decided to take the train. Remember my previous blog where I stated I hated taking the trains? Well then you should know I was not thrilled as I went down into the bowels of hell. I boarded the #5 train and of course there were no seats ... whatever. I stood by the door and mentally prepared myself for this train ride to Harlem. To my surprise ... nothing happened. There wasn't anything to talk about. No performers doing stunts in the middle of the isle. No panhandlers begging for money ... well there was this one guy walking up and down the isle talking to himself.  Like the rest of the New Yorkers on the train I had the attitude ... don't bother me and I won't bother you. The only other thing worth mentioning was me saving a child (please hold your applause) from possibly going to the ER. 

A young man and his son were sitting in the corner (the one seater). The little boy looked about 2 yrs old. I watched as the little boy peeled the white sticker off the outside of his banana. Of course it took forever for him to rid the sticky paper from his little fingers. Once he was done, his father peeled the banana. Before the little boy could take a bite, daddy broke off a piece and ate it. Little man wasn't happy. He cried and cried and cried. Eventually he stopped and proceeded to eat his banana. Unfortunately he fell asleep before he got to the end of his fruit. 



As the train pulled into the 86th Street station, the father stands up to get the little boy ready. He pulled down his jacket and pant legs. Now here is where daddy made his mistake. He released his grip on the little boy to fix his own clothes. The train comes to a stop. Daddy is bent down not paying attention. The train jerks and the little boy goes flying forward. A pole was waiting to make contact with his little face. Without thinking I placed my hand between the little boy's face and the pole. I prevent the tot from running smack dab into the pole. Unaware of the danger he just avoided, the little boy looked up at me with a terrified look on his face. The father scooped him up and thanked me for my quick action. He asked the little boy was he okay. The whole time little man kept his eyes on me with a look of .. why you put your hand in my face lady? I wanted to laugh but he was already traumatized. I was just thankful instinct kicked in because his forehead hitting the pole was not going to be pretty. A child was saved from visiting the ER. Perhaps riding the train isn't that bad ... nah its still hell and unless I absolutely have to I'm not doing it again. However I am thankful that for the first time in ages ... Today was a good day with #nycmta.  

#nycmtachronicles 12.08.16

Hot vs Cold 
On the commute this morning I sit with my two friends who shall remain nameless to protect their identities. Lets just call them Friend A and Friend B. As far as I was concerned, the bus was very comfortable. The heat was on. It wasn't blasting but just enough to keep the coldness off the bus. Mid way through our trip a window near us pops open. I immediately felt the cold air blowing on me while Friend A and B was relieved because they were hot. We immediately went

into a hot vs cold battle. They said it's hot on the bus while I say it's not. I gave the friend closest to the window the evil eye until she reached up and closed the window. As soon as she closed it .. the window popped back open. She closed it again and again it popped open. Personally I think she wasn't trying very hard because she wanted the window to remain open. After the third try of closing the window .. it popped back open and she gave up trying. how convenient.  Need-less-to-say .. the window remained opened for the rest of the trip. I really do think it was a conspiracy between Friend A and Friend B. Next time I will get up and close it myself and it won't pop back open. Today the score was: Hot - 1 Cold - 0.


Phoebe
The bus driver's voice is so deep and raspy that he sounds like a phone sex operator. At one point I couldn't even tell what he was saying. I'm sure having his mouth all up on the phone when announcing the stops isn't helping. It really sounds like he is talking out of his nose and faking the sexiness. Matter of fact. He sounds like Phoebe from Friends on that episode when she had a cold and thought she sounded sexy when singing at Perks. My sticky shoes. My sticky, sticky shoes, why you stick on meeee ...LMAO 😝


Hey Friend
As I sit here writing this blog, I had to airdrop the above pic from my phone to my laptop. Now when you use airdrop on an iphone all nearby iphone users pop up if they have their airdrop. Four people on this bus was using their iphone. One of these days I am going to use this picture and send it to everyone who pops up on my airdrop. I swear one day I'm gonna do it!!!

A Honker
So apparently Phoebe is a honker. He has honked the horn at least 1700 times since I got on this bus. He even honked at a passing bird. And then at times he leaned on the horn. He is making entirely too much noise with that horn. Damn Phoebe give it a break. However, in spite of his raspy voice and love for the horn ... he is very nice to the passengers and drives the bus really fast which is always a good thing in my book.

Sizing things up
Why do some passengers get on the bus, dip their metro card and look around the bus like seeing if it's safe to walk down the isle. Uhmmmm hellooooo you already dipped your card. I don't know about you but once I dip my card and paid $2.75 my ass not getting off the bus. I don't care if there are four hookers, a smelly homeless person, a loud cellphone talker, 75 little kids or a zombie. Okay wait ... I think I would get off for a zombie. Everyone knows .. I DON'T DO ZOMBIES!!!

Nosy
Am I the only one who looks at other people phones to see what they are looking at? On the average most people are looking at social media, shopping or watching a movie. They are so boring .. just once I wanna catch someone looking at something they should be looking at in the privacy of their home so I can give them dirty looks. Oh and shout out to the people who screens are filled with so many cracks you can't even tell what the hell is on their phone. And a double shout out to the companies who make those privacy screen protector for phones ... they really work.

#nycmtachronicles 12.07.16

Hold the 🚌 please!
Anyone who knows me knows that I am slow. They also know I am usually late. When getting up in the morning at 5:30 I feel as though I have all the time in the world to get ready and leave out the house at 6:45. However every morning it seems like after 6:15 time purposely speeds up. Before you know it, it's 6:30 and I just finished putting on my make-up. I still have to find something to wear then get dressed, make my lunch and dash out the door to catch the bus at 6:50. Lets just say I rarely take lunch to work. On the norm, I am running across the street to catch the bus. It's so bad that my friend sometimes stall the bus driver when she sees me coming out the building. When I get on the bus .. the bus driver looks at me laughs and shakes his head. So today I told him for his Christmas present I was going to start being on time. Odds are he won't be receiving a present from me.

Evil Book Bag Boy

Recently a little boy about four or five years old has been riding the bus with his mother and big sister. He is the cutest thing ever but I have a serious problem with him. Okay perhaps it's not with him per say more with his book bag. As you can see from the picture, his book bag lurking at me like it knows I be talking about it. This bag creeps me out. Why would parents by bags like this for their kids? Every time I look up to see those eyes staring at me. I was extremely happy today when mother and daughter got on the bus and the little boy who I've named Evil Book Bag Boy wasn't with them. I think I'm going to start bring a towel with me to throw over the book bag like the little boy did to the clown in Poltergeist. 

Please use back doors to exit off the bus.
My next rant is about the #nycmta bus drivers. Every day on the M103 the bus driver (not always the same driver which makes it worse) stops in front of a tree with an iron grading around it. The doors open and the passengers sometimes have to hop over it to get off. The majority of the time there is a pile of garbage beside it which makes it even harder to jump over. Why passengers just don't go to the front is beyond me but never-the-less they shouldn't have to because there shouldn't be anything blocking the back door.

Well today I gave the bus driver kudos for leaving enough room at that stop for passengers to get off. Then he drives a few blocks and does this. Although passengers aren't doing any leaps to get off the bus, they now must squeeze between two buses. What pisses me off the most is that there is always enough room in front of the bus for the driver to pull up giving passengers a free path to exit off the bus. I've realized that these bus drivers really don't give a flying flute. I know somewhere during their training they were told to make sure it was safe for passengers to get on or off the bus. This also includes pulling up to the curb. Oh please don't get me started on that one. 

Where's the heat? 
On a good note my 2nd bus is nice and warm. Well it was warm after I closed two windows and the emergency hatch. Thirty something degrees and people have windows open like its 85 degrees outside. Sometimes I feel like I am the only person in the world who likes the heat. I'm on the bus all bundled up while others have their coats are opened acting like they gasping for air because it's hot. As I write this blog in the bag of the bus .. three people started coughing and only two covered their mouths. Hmmmmm perhaps I should have left the windows opened to kill those germs now circulating in my area. Time to use my scarf as a mask. Until next time ... 

#nycmta 

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And I can feel this for sure .. I've been here before - Teena Marie