Some time ago, I wrote about the intracity bus culture. People who ride the bus understand the limitations of doing chores while riding the bus. A case in point is grocery shopping using the bus.
In November, I was on the 910 Western Avenue bus heading downtown. A woman with one of those foldable shopping carts was already aboard. She was getting off the bus at State and Pearl, my stop. The cart was full of food, and she had two canvas bags overflowing with groceries.
She was trying to get from the 910 to the 22 bus to Troy. The 910 bus driver successfully beeped to get the attention of the 22 bus driver. The woman struggled to get her cart and two bags off the bus. Running to catch the Troy bus, she abandoned her cart and ran down the hill to get on to the next bus, dropping from her bags these four big stalks of some greenery I’d never seen before.
So I pushed her cart to the 22 bus, snatching up the mysterious greenery. She had put her two bags just inside the 22 bus entrance, but there was no way to put the cart up there. I suggested that she put the bags on a bus seat. She moved one bag further inside, which provided enough room to get the cart onto the landing; it was a bit heavy.
Been there
I related to her. I’ve carried a cart full of food onto the bus, with one additional bag. It’s a pain in the neck. You’re trying not to be in other people’s way, allowing them to pass while at the same time making sure you keep all your food secure. It got me wondering where she was coming from. Why did she have to buy all that food in Albany? Does she live in a food desert?
Bus-riding people are generally pretty understanding. Since this incident, I’ve seen people offer bus fare when others didn’t have any. It’s a community born of common stress.