I am currently on a Megabus going to DC. I got a bunch of free tickets because they had a special where they were just giving them away (??!) so I decided to take a poor woman's vacation.
Anyway, things were going so well. I hung out with friends in Charlotte, caught the bus, discovered the internet worked, was getting some sleep (it's the red eye) when "splat splat" - some guy two seats back from me threw up in the isle. The sound is unmistakable, even without retching.
This prompted an interesting response. Two ladies sitting near me really flipped out, "Oh heeeell no, hell no!!!" and the unfortunate man who was sitting next to the sick man said "aaaaaaay!!!! stop the bus! this man is throwin' up!" Seconds later the alternate driver turned the lights on and assessed the situation. They pulled the bus over and he told the sick guy to go outside and handed him a trash bag, the whole time the women were squawking about how gross, the smell, oh hell no, etc. The sick man stood right outside the door and said "hey man, where does this bus go?" and the alternate driver said "we're going to DC" and then the sick guy said "oh yeah I'm on that bus! where does it go?" "to DC!" "Hey man don't kick me off the bus man."
So with the women still squawking the sick guy comes back on, holding a bright orange trash bag with rolled down edges. He tries to calm everyone down and says "I'm ok, I'm ok, don't kick me off the bus" and as he's saying this he weaves into a pair of seats and obviously is losing his balance. More "Oh HELL NO!! OH HELL NOOOO"'s. He sits and the alternate bus driver turns the light off, puke still all over the isle and a faint acrid smell wafting around. The ladies protest and say "Is someone going to clean that up? I smell it!! I smell it!" The sick guy says, "you can smell this?" and the lady behind me says "yes, it makes me nauseous." Here here. The Asian man across from me with long fingers says "can we put something over that?" The bus driver walks around, finds some paper towels and a roll of toilet paper and I think he put a few sheets on the mess, handing off the rest of the paper products to our resident life-ruiner of the night. Sick man says he will clean it up. The woman across from me is chattering wildly in French to someone on the phone, obviously about what is going on on the bus. Woman behind me demands the smell be covered up, someone sprays cologne directly on the floor.
The driver turns the lights off and we start to go again. Everyone starts to calm down and shut their eyes. Then we all hear the "splat splat" again. "OH HELLLLLLL NO!!!! GET THE FUCK OFF THIS BUS!!" The alternate bus driver, after a long pause of thinking about what to do, says loudly, "Man you throwing up again?" "I'm ok." "Man use the BAG!" The ladies are really mad now. I look over and see that the Asian man with long fingers now has a face mask on (like the kind people wore during the swine flu scare). They realized, like the rest of us, that it is up to us to contain this person because Megabus apparently has no protocol for sick people and what to do. The lady behind me tells the sick man, "go to the back, go sit away from us" she even tells him to sit in the empty seats in front of me, which makes me immediately hate her. She tells him to go to the back and sit near the bathroom, that way when he is sick he can throw up in there. A beautiful idea. The sad sick man takes his orange bag and goes to the back, he has not returned. The woman who speaks French turned her light on and started talking to no one in particular, "I don't even care because this bus ride is FREE. I'm getting a refund! In my country, you can't do that!!!" I'd like to know what she means. She also demanded a "breathalyzer, or something in here, that SMELL!"
This whole thing brings to light one of my deepest fears I have harbored since childhood. I don't know where this came from, I'm pretty sure it was one traumatic experience that I have blocked out- but I have a horrible fear of people throwing up on buses. Riding the bus in elementary school taught me to keep my feet on the seat, almost at all times, because if someone pukes, it will roll all around the bus and it will TOUCH YOU. I lived in fear for so long. I also just generally have an irrational fear of vomit and throwing up in general. I'm almost positive our sick passenger is drunk, or on drugs, so I'm not all that scared of being sick, thank god, which is the primary fear.
Anyway, you are scared of things for reasons. My feet were already up when all this went down. It's going to be a long night.
(PS, I understand wanting to be drunk or black out for a long bus ride, but really? REALLY??? This happened maybe 20 minutes after he got on in Durham. Asshole.)
edit: I'm now in DC, finally off of that godforsaken bus. The guy ended up locking himself in the bathroom on the bus and passing out. The driver had to pry the door open with a screw driver. At a rest stop, a passenger took it upon herself to cover the isle with paper towels and trash bags. More notable quotations from the ladies sitting near me:
"Oh my god, if he had gotten his filth on my Snuggie, Mama Africa!!!!!"
"Yeah, he's lucky that it didn't get on me, I would have really gone off."
"Why they going to get him out of the bathroom? Let him stay in there until we get to DC!"
me: "He is probably passed out in there!"
lady: "he might be dead in there. I don't even care if he's dead!"
"he just came on the bus LOOKING to sit next to someone, he knew he was sick! he knew! He WANTED to sit next to us!"
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Merry Blues
I returned to Asheville last weekend to celebrate graduation at Warren Wilson with friends- it turned out to be a huge 1-year-out-of-college reunion for a lot of folks. I was so ecstatically happy for a couple days- it feels so good to be manically happy after looking forward to something for so long. Seeing my boyfriend was also so good- I miss him every day. I have a lot of guilt for moving away, though I know that if I had stayed down there until he finished school I would have resented myself/him. I really had too much fun in Asheville, I knew it would happen. Right when I feel good about living in DC and charting a new course I go back and screw it all up with those intoxicating mountains, bearded men, and bluegrass. I almost wish Asheville were so far away that I really couldn't return, just so that temptation wouldn't be there and I could be left to forge a new existence without being foiled in one visit.
I am filled with a constant dilemma. Every day, I think about whether I should keep on with my new life in DC or if I should move back to Asheville. There are such wonderful advantages to both places. It was a very easy decision before I made good friends in DC- just wait out my lease here and then go back. Now I have people that make me happy here- I love the independence I have in the city- no car, easy access to whatever I want, always fun things going on and places to explore. It seems like I meet new people all the time who are really smart and successful. My old friends are constantly visiting me here- it is rare that I am alone. At the same time, the city can be grating on me. It's hard to get out of the concrete when you really want to- I feel awkward about listening to My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes, it is honestly inappropriate to listen to that stuff in a city. I miss the watchful mountains of Western NC and the familiar faces and places there. I miss being close to my mom, and boyfriend, too. I know I would be happy in both places- that is the biggest problem. Which would make me happiest? I was always under the impression that after college life is glamorous and easy, you set yourself up and just go. It is like that sometimes- but there are always problems. It would be so much easier to not get so attached to people and places. At least I got out of South Carolina and have no desire to return.
I suppose the answer is just to continue the wait for my lease to go up- see how the summer goes. My job is miserable, so that does have a large influence. Today, I lean toward staying in DC. Tomorrow, we'll see. The answer is always "wait and see what happens" for EVERYTHING.
I also am aware of what I have termed "Asheville Disease" - which is a disease that affects those who have visited or lived in Asheville and fell in love with it but can't find a way to return. Those of us who live every day with the pull to go back but no opportunity for a decent job there or some other obstacle that keeps us where we are. Asheville Disease is made worse by going back, of course. There is another saying about Warren Wilson graduates- there are two types. The ones that stay in Asheville and can't find a job and the ones that leave Asheville, have a job, but are just trying to go back. This is so true it is pathetic. It's nice to not be alone in my illness, though.
I am also finally aware of the fact that choosing Warren Wilson College was the best possible decision I could have made about where to go to school. It took this long to realize it, but a big thank you to 18-year-old Elizabeth is in order. Seriously, I went to the perfect school for me. I have no regrets about it and I don't think I would have been happier anywhere else. There were times when I thought about transferring- but I found the people that I needed to learn and to grow so it worked out. It makes paying the loans not so terrible.
I am also aware now that there are way more people reading this blog than I thought. I'll try to update it more. I know I always say that.
I am filled with a constant dilemma. Every day, I think about whether I should keep on with my new life in DC or if I should move back to Asheville. There are such wonderful advantages to both places. It was a very easy decision before I made good friends in DC- just wait out my lease here and then go back. Now I have people that make me happy here- I love the independence I have in the city- no car, easy access to whatever I want, always fun things going on and places to explore. It seems like I meet new people all the time who are really smart and successful. My old friends are constantly visiting me here- it is rare that I am alone. At the same time, the city can be grating on me. It's hard to get out of the concrete when you really want to- I feel awkward about listening to My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes, it is honestly inappropriate to listen to that stuff in a city. I miss the watchful mountains of Western NC and the familiar faces and places there. I miss being close to my mom, and boyfriend, too. I know I would be happy in both places- that is the biggest problem. Which would make me happiest? I was always under the impression that after college life is glamorous and easy, you set yourself up and just go. It is like that sometimes- but there are always problems. It would be so much easier to not get so attached to people and places. At least I got out of South Carolina and have no desire to return.
I suppose the answer is just to continue the wait for my lease to go up- see how the summer goes. My job is miserable, so that does have a large influence. Today, I lean toward staying in DC. Tomorrow, we'll see. The answer is always "wait and see what happens" for EVERYTHING.
I also am aware of what I have termed "Asheville Disease" - which is a disease that affects those who have visited or lived in Asheville and fell in love with it but can't find a way to return. Those of us who live every day with the pull to go back but no opportunity for a decent job there or some other obstacle that keeps us where we are. Asheville Disease is made worse by going back, of course. There is another saying about Warren Wilson graduates- there are two types. The ones that stay in Asheville and can't find a job and the ones that leave Asheville, have a job, but are just trying to go back. This is so true it is pathetic. It's nice to not be alone in my illness, though.
I am also finally aware of the fact that choosing Warren Wilson College was the best possible decision I could have made about where to go to school. It took this long to realize it, but a big thank you to 18-year-old Elizabeth is in order. Seriously, I went to the perfect school for me. I have no regrets about it and I don't think I would have been happier anywhere else. There were times when I thought about transferring- but I found the people that I needed to learn and to grow so it worked out. It makes paying the loans not so terrible.
I am also aware now that there are way more people reading this blog than I thought. I'll try to update it more. I know I always say that.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Be good to your daughters
Today I got some really great news that implies that I will be going to New York City this weekend. That means adventure and bagels. I am about to jump out of myself over the good news- which I won't share here but if you know me in real life I'll gladly tell you.
So, in case anyone was wondering, Chinatown bus travel is easy, cheap, and sometimes comfortable. I go back and forth to New York this way, usually using Megabus or Boltbus- but sometimes the other "lesser" Chinatown companies that are cheaper or more convenient. Megabus and Boltbus both have very clean buses and free wifi on the bus. Boltbus is always on time. Megabus isn't. Tickets are usually around $20 one way but if you book them early enough (like.... a month in advance) Megabus sells some tickets for $1-$8. Some people claim to have had very bad and terrifying experiences on Chinatown buses but I have yet to have had one. It seems like everyone knows a Chinatown bus terror story .. but when it comes down to it the guy who was stabbed to death and then decapitated on a bus was on a greyhound bus in Canada.. not a Chinatown bus.
In other news I ate Amsterdam Falafel again tonight and it was AWESOME.
So, in case anyone was wondering, Chinatown bus travel is easy, cheap, and sometimes comfortable. I go back and forth to New York this way, usually using Megabus or Boltbus- but sometimes the other "lesser" Chinatown companies that are cheaper or more convenient. Megabus and Boltbus both have very clean buses and free wifi on the bus. Boltbus is always on time. Megabus isn't. Tickets are usually around $20 one way but if you book them early enough (like.... a month in advance) Megabus sells some tickets for $1-$8. Some people claim to have had very bad and terrifying experiences on Chinatown buses but I have yet to have had one. It seems like everyone knows a Chinatown bus terror story .. but when it comes down to it the guy who was stabbed to death and then decapitated on a bus was on a greyhound bus in Canada.. not a Chinatown bus.
In other news I ate Amsterdam Falafel again tonight and it was AWESOME.
Monday, December 15, 2008
NYC weekend of awesome
Oh, oh. I don't even remember what happened last week. Friday night I skipped town and took a bus to New York City! I met up with C (who lives there) and we made preparations to have as much fun as possible over the next couple days. It's basically the most awesome thing in life that I can take a bus to NYC whenever I want for round trip $35-$40. It's a 4.5-5 hour bus ride, which is a little grueling after that 3rd hour, but man! Way worth it!
She lives in Brooklyn and I am officially and huge fan of "BK" - the non scary neighborhoods are way hip. On Saturday we went to Manhattan for some Christmas shopping. We hit up the Evolution Store, which was AWESOME - basically a standard Natural History Museum but all for sale. It was kind of weird because they have human skeletons for sale- how does that work? They had lots of seashells and rocks, freeze-dried animals, nuts, bones, way cool stuff. I found Christmas tree incense!!!
We also went to the Dwell Sample Sale because C works at Dwell!!! It was so much fun!!! The stuff there is so high end and unavailable to us (for real rich people cuteness) but since it was the sale we could actually buy stuff. I got this AWESOME weekend bag so that when I go to NYC every single weekend in the future I can use my way hip WEEKENDER. I'm pretty sure it would be the first bag stolen off the bus if a thief happened to be around when I'm traveling- but luckily I made it through the trip home. I got a lot of Christmas shopping done there which is way sweet since Christmas is 10 days away (?!!!)
C and I looked in lots of other stores and had super amounts of fun looking at all the crap that you can only get in NYC. We went to a holiday market and a farmers market that had TONS OF LOCAL APPLES for way cheaper than at the stupid Eastern Market in DC (ugh!) AND hot apple cider?!! omg. I got a huge thing of apple cider.
Then we hung out with some really fat NYC squirrels. City squirrels really are the coolest because they are fatter and they are pretty tame. At that point two of the best things in life encountered each other, drinking fresh apple cider with some fatty squirrels. Way cool. We could say, "HEY SQUIRREL, HEY!" and they would come to you!!!
We met up with my homegirl L (from college) which was AMAZING because I hadn't seen her in a year! We went to a really cool Indian restaurant called Milon. It was really crazy, there are so many Christmas lights and pepper lights that you hit your head on them inside. They play crazy remixes of Indian music and if it's your birthday they have strobe lights and a special remix of happy birthday!! The food was very mild, which was kind of nice for Indian food because that way I could use all of the sauces on it without it being too spicy. I'm an official fan. Not to mention that it was super cheap. Afterwards we walked around (I had no idea where we were) and went to a bar.
Saturday was also Santacon for NYC. Santacon is a "Santa Convention" where anyone who wants to dresses up like Santa and meets somewhere and goes bar hopping all day long. Seriously, it starts at 10AM. We saw Santas EVERYWHERE. I tried and tried to find out where all the Santas were- I asked all the Santas I saw. They were all either too drunk to tell me or remember or they didn't know themselves. I even gave my phone number to a Santa to call me when he found the other Santas. Oh, Santas.
On Sunday we went to a cool "flea market" in Brooklyn which was a bunch of vintage and indie hipster vendors selling really cool crap. I miss that kind of stuff in DC; there is way more art and arty kind of stuff going on with young people in NYC. DC is very much suit-oriented, even with the young people. I love NYC with a thousand hearts but I will never trade the DC metro system for anything. We had a "fear/love" scale at my old job at Warren Wilson where you rate random things according to your fear or love of it. On my fear and love scale the NYC subway is way way way far down on fear. It is like a giant bathroom under the city, complete with bathroom tile. Holy god, I still have absolutely no clue where we were or where we went on it.
It'd be cool to have a fear/love scale for the blog. Maybe I will construct an image that will live on the side bar or something and as I blog I will add things to the fear/love scale. I miss that thing.
So all the fun wound down and I had to go to Chinatown to catch a Chinatown bus to go back to DC. Of course I hit up one of the Chinatown grocery stores because they have the most interesting stuff that you have never seen. I stocked up on Hi Chews and boarded the mean long bus back to DC. Now I have a cold and I came home from work early. This week seriously needs to speed up because Christmas vacation is SO CLOSE. I'm back to slothing on the couch watching John and Kate + 8.
She lives in Brooklyn and I am officially and huge fan of "BK" - the non scary neighborhoods are way hip. On Saturday we went to Manhattan for some Christmas shopping. We hit up the Evolution Store, which was AWESOME - basically a standard Natural History Museum but all for sale. It was kind of weird because they have human skeletons for sale- how does that work? They had lots of seashells and rocks, freeze-dried animals, nuts, bones, way cool stuff. I found Christmas tree incense!!!
We also went to the Dwell Sample Sale because C works at Dwell!!! It was so much fun!!! The stuff there is so high end and unavailable to us (for real rich people cuteness) but since it was the sale we could actually buy stuff. I got this AWESOME weekend bag so that when I go to NYC every single weekend in the future I can use my way hip WEEKENDER. I'm pretty sure it would be the first bag stolen off the bus if a thief happened to be around when I'm traveling- but luckily I made it through the trip home. I got a lot of Christmas shopping done there which is way sweet since Christmas is 10 days away (?!!!)
C and I looked in lots of other stores and had super amounts of fun looking at all the crap that you can only get in NYC. We went to a holiday market and a farmers market that had TONS OF LOCAL APPLES for way cheaper than at the stupid Eastern Market in DC (ugh!) AND hot apple cider?!! omg. I got a huge thing of apple cider.
Then we hung out with some really fat NYC squirrels. City squirrels really are the coolest because they are fatter and they are pretty tame. At that point two of the best things in life encountered each other, drinking fresh apple cider with some fatty squirrels. Way cool. We could say, "HEY SQUIRREL, HEY!" and they would come to you!!!We met up with my homegirl L (from college) which was AMAZING because I hadn't seen her in a year! We went to a really cool Indian restaurant called Milon. It was really crazy, there are so many Christmas lights and pepper lights that you hit your head on them inside. They play crazy remixes of Indian music and if it's your birthday they have strobe lights and a special remix of happy birthday!! The food was very mild, which was kind of nice for Indian food because that way I could use all of the sauces on it without it being too spicy. I'm an official fan. Not to mention that it was super cheap. Afterwards we walked around (I had no idea where we were) and went to a bar.
Saturday was also Santacon for NYC. Santacon is a "Santa Convention" where anyone who wants to dresses up like Santa and meets somewhere and goes bar hopping all day long. Seriously, it starts at 10AM. We saw Santas EVERYWHERE. I tried and tried to find out where all the Santas were- I asked all the Santas I saw. They were all either too drunk to tell me or remember or they didn't know themselves. I even gave my phone number to a Santa to call me when he found the other Santas. Oh, Santas.
On Sunday we went to a cool "flea market" in Brooklyn which was a bunch of vintage and indie hipster vendors selling really cool crap. I miss that kind of stuff in DC; there is way more art and arty kind of stuff going on with young people in NYC. DC is very much suit-oriented, even with the young people. I love NYC with a thousand hearts but I will never trade the DC metro system for anything. We had a "fear/love" scale at my old job at Warren Wilson where you rate random things according to your fear or love of it. On my fear and love scale the NYC subway is way way way far down on fear. It is like a giant bathroom under the city, complete with bathroom tile. Holy god, I still have absolutely no clue where we were or where we went on it.
It'd be cool to have a fear/love scale for the blog. Maybe I will construct an image that will live on the side bar or something and as I blog I will add things to the fear/love scale. I miss that thing.
So all the fun wound down and I had to go to Chinatown to catch a Chinatown bus to go back to DC. Of course I hit up one of the Chinatown grocery stores because they have the most interesting stuff that you have never seen. I stocked up on Hi Chews and boarded the mean long bus back to DC. Now I have a cold and I came home from work early. This week seriously needs to speed up because Christmas vacation is SO CLOSE. I'm back to slothing on the couch watching John and Kate + 8.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Great Northeast Adventure GO!
So I've been adventuring. It goes like this:
- July 29 (?) started driving to Maine (from South Carolina) for vacation with boyfriend's family.
- Stopped in Baltimore and walked the streets (go get your Gram Parsons)
- Stopped in Providence and ate at La Creperie with C
- Got to Maine
-Sailing
-Being mistaken for townies (only the bf and me) in Portland, ME
-General family cheerleader activities because I'm not actually related
More stories later on that, maybe. It was really cold and rainy the whole time and I LOVED it. Being cold.. in August. It's so magical. (cue the song "Carolina Girls")
Now I'm in Providence, Rhode Island chilling with C in her apartment. When my boyfriend's family was driving back to South Carolina I just thought... why on earth would I want to go back there. Especially right now, when the highs have been in the 100's. So I just stayed in Providence and watched them leave. I was only going to stay for a week but I have no real obligations- so I'm going to stay until the end of August and help C move out and drive down to South Carolina. We're going to have a yard sale on Saturday. She knits a lot and we cook together. We got an amazing deal at Jcrew the other day (2 dresses and a skirt for $22? Jcrew?! did you know they have a 15% student discount?) We picked a lot of blueberries. She took me to Ikea!!!!! Super adventures GO!
Yesterday I went to Boston to meet up with some college friends. We had so much fun going to the Garment District, walking around Harvard, discussing all the medical study opportunities available in the Boston area, eating in China Town at the best vegetarian restaurant EVER (that had these blended fruit and coconut milk smoothie things), riding the T, finding the perfect iced coffee, just everything. I have lots of pictures but I didn't bring my camera cord, I'll have to ask C for one. Seeing all these people (and getting the hell out of South Carolina) has made me feel so much better in general. I'm still keeping up with the job search and applying and interviewing-- but getting out and doing different things is so nice. We're going to meet up again next week and try to add more Warren Wilson friends to the mix.
Today on my way back to Providence I was waiting for the T and I got mistaken for a townie AGAIN. Way to go me!!!
Another main reason I've been feeling so bad lately at home in South Carolina has been the inadequacy I feel about not having a steady job, not getting a job, all the rejection letters, missing college, etc. It is such a lonely business to not have a car and be stuck in a town when you had so many dreams about post-collegiate life. Seeing old friends my age in the EXACT SAME SITUATION having the EXACT SAME conversations about the job search, interviews, waiting for calls and emails- it has made me feel not quite so alone. It is much better to go through this with other people going through it too. It's hard to remember that I'm not alone when I'm so removed from so many people I love.
I also started a new project for this blog. I am always excited when I see how other places recycle- what kind of cans they use, how they label their containers, etc. I've started taking pictures of all the different ones I've seen in my travels and hopefully I'll get to post them to have a kind of collection for the "trashlady." Not that anyone would be interested in how other cities and schools recycle- it's just cool seeing it in action. You can see most of the containers people use in catalogues but for me it is also a documentation of where I've been traveling. So... soon you can look at recycling containers.
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