The MUNI Chronicles: bussing it after 9 (part one)
so, like i mentioned, i’ve been doing some freelance work. one place i moonlight is waaaaay out in the boonies of the city - it takes me like an hour to get there. i’ll go out there for a couple hours after i’ve already put in 8 hours at my day job - so needless to say when i’m coming home, it’s pretty late. fortunately there are two busses (i thought) that run as close as door-to-door as i’m going to get at 9 or 10 pm. last week i found out there is really only *one* bus that does said door-to-door running - and it’s not the one i initially got on. i took one bus out to this place, and i went ahead and took the same bus back when i was finished. only problem is … it stops going as far as i need it to, once it gets past, like 7pm. after 7, it stops in Seedy McSketchy-ville.
when we got to this point, and the bus driver kicked us all off, i briefly thought of just staying on the bus, riding it back to a safer area, getting off there and catching another bus or a cab. then i realized, most of the area that bus drives through are sketchy. i’d have to ride it halfway back to where i’d been freelancing before i felt safe getting off in a neighborhood i didn’t know at 10 pm.
i was at least familiar with the area where i had to get off. ironic thing is, it’s actually closer, blocks-wise, to my apartment than the stop i was going to get off at. but walking home west to east is sketchier than walking home east to west. that’s just how it is. one block you’re in a ritzy shopping district, the next, you’re being ushered into a porno store by a homeless crack addict. not kidding.
so there i was - in ghetto-town, 10 pm, on the corner of meth junkie and crack whore, tall, white, blonde and alone. i wasn’t ABOUT to walk the (mere) 6 blocks back to my building through that mess. so it took me about .25 seconds to decide to take a cab. well, since meth junkies and crack addicts aren’t known for their common use of cabs, there’s not a WHOLE lot going thru those parts. thank GOD there was a tiny little donut shop on the corner that’s open 24 hours. i went in there to be partially safe, and call a cab. while i was on hold with the cab company, i saw a couple taxis go by, so i decided to walk out to the bus stop and try to hail a cab from there.
after a couple seconds i got one to pull over, but he wouldn’t let me in. he asked me where i was going, and when i told him, he refused to take me. the problem was you can’t turn toward the direction of my apartment from the street he was on - he would have had to circle the block, instead of making a direct turn. he was like, ” go walk down to X street, and catch one there.” the whole POINT of getting a cab was to avoid certain death by walking ANYWHERE. i told him i didn’t care, he could circle the block, and tried to open the door. then, i SHIT YOU NOT, he DROVE THE FUCK AWAY! i’m SO not even kidding. i’m a BLONDE, well dressed girl in the middle of the ghetto! i would’ve paid you double just to let me get in the fucking cab!! but aside from that, it should have been obvious i was in distress!
so anyway, a minute later i hailed another cab, who took me around the block and didn’t bitch at all. i looked up the website of the first cab company so i could leave feedback, but no such luck. guess i’ll have to call my complaint in - those bitches are gonna get an earful.