The Screamer and the Wail

This morning there was a screamer in Westwood. He roved up and down Westwood Blvd. as the UCLA students queuing outside the AT&T store (does the new iPhone come out today?) chuckled and watched. He went in circles, yelling his head off, possibly about Politics and The Black Experience, and then headed north toward the clock tower thing. Strangers gave each other guilty smiles. I couldn’t make out most of his rant. Luckily he had already passed by when I got to my bus stop. I no longer grab the bus at Wilshire/Veteran, but instead make my walk past a Starbucks, Peet’s and Coffee Bean to Weyburn and wait there. It’s much more pleasant, although it seems like ten Big Blues come by for every Culver 6.

On my second bus, there was a loud, unsettling guy who would take a deep breath and then bark out phrases about things he’d bought and “American baseball.” He was definitely not talking into a hidden blue-tooth; no, he was just flat-out crazy.

Tidbits from the transfer

My driver on the West 20 this morning was a bad-ass. He honked people out of the way and then ran a red light. I didn’t feel scared because we are bigger than all the cars.

I was able to stop at the bank as planned, get my money and also a purple lollipop from a dish they had out, though I cut it a bit close getting to work.

I’m trying to figure out a way I can convince my husband to take the Fly-Away Bus from Westwood to LAX in August for my sister’s wedding. A taxi would be about $80-90 bucks there and back, and parking for three nights would be at least $75, but the bus would be $16 total, for both of us, round trip.

Banking between stops

My transit errands are getting more ambitious. Today I’m going to stop at the Bank of America in Westwood on the transfer and cash a check for my husband en route.

Also — an update to the post “Language Barrier” — it turns out that Transit TV – Moving Entertainment is not entirely in Spanish. They had a weather report in English yesterday morning that I could have done without. I look at screens all day, be they TV or computer, and I don’t really want one on the bus.

(Watch, in a month I’ll be obsessed with the Transit TV talent and know them all by name.)

Shopping between stops

Last night I had Pringles and vodka for dinner.

On my evening transfer, I walked around Westood Village until I found the Rite-Aid. I was hoping for mac’n'cheese but they didn’t really have that much food so I just got the chips. I also bought a new toothbrush and toothpaste, and then caught the Metro 20 from the Westwood Blvd. stop, which has a better sitting area than Wilshire/Veteran. I hope the Culver 6 isn’t late this morning.

Today I transport peanut butter to work.