Lost on Lafayette

The bus mis-adventure

The other day, I left my non-profit internship downtown and decided to take the bus home.

I knew what bus to take, I had looked on google maps. Instead of doing what it said, I walked towards where I saw a bunch of buses. I was supposed to take the 48 Northbound Van Dyke/Lafayette. I did get onto a bus on Larned St. that said Van Dyke--but it was the Smart bus 510. The first red flag was that I noticed the bus looked different than the regular white one.

After riding it for about ten minutes, I realized we were not avoiding all the traffic on Lafayette and were going east. Stopping infrequently, we got to Gratiot and Van Dyke and I tried to get off but the driver didn't stop. Shit. My ears are starting to burn and I start to panic. Sweating in my suit and wedge heel sandals, I could not walk nor run very far if I had to get home that way.

Eventually, at NINE MILE and VAN DYKE--literally city limits--I decide to talk to the bus driver. She laughs at me, stops in the middle of the road, and tells me to take the 48 across the street. There is literally traffic whizzing by on both sides. So I run out and run across the street, with people yelling and everything and walk towards the bus stop.

Oh but wait, I don't have any more money. Looking around there are insurance companies, cash advance shops and a family dollar. And then I see ATM in a liquor store. Did I mention it was like 90 degrees out and I am wearing all black. I sweatily waddle in my uncomfortable shoes to the liquor store where some guy doesn't want to give me any money because the company charges $2.50. What do I care, I have to get out of here!

After calling everyone I can think of, some friends talk me down and I sit in the sun and wait. For 45 minutes. Finally, my lovely bus came and I got to Lafeyette. After taking my shoes off, a nice young man in the street asked if he could "rub your feet, or something."

aaaaah, thanks Detroit.