Yesterday was Valentines day so love way in the air, and in the bus. I got on the bus a little later than usual because I was guest hosting a radio show on Red River Radio. (You should listen to Red River Radio if you don't. I'm always on it, and I'm hilarious) I stood in front of the MTS centre waiting for my bus. The only other people waiting for the bus were an older couple who were in the middle of a hard core mac sesh. (It was kind of gross) My bus finally came and of course the couple got on with me. I went to the back of the bus and put my head phones on.
As I listened to my music I looked around the bus. There were maybe only 10 or 12 other people on the bus, and they were all in couples. I was the only one on the bus who wasn't with a significant other, and it was kind of awkward.
Every one gave me that look that said "Awwee poor guy, he's all alone" which made things more... well.. kind of awkward.
I'm not the kind of person that hates on Valentines day, I think it's actually a really nice day. Every where you go people are holding hands, women walk around with flowers in their arms, and men do every thing they can so that they stay out of the dog house. Its a lovely day. And I'm also not the kind of guy that complains about Valentines day because I'm single. I love being single.
The thing I hate about Valentines day is that look you get from couples that say "Awwweee poor guy he's single" Seriously? For 364 days I can walk around and do what ever I want, but this one day I'm suppose to walk with my head down because of how I choose to live. Plus I'm 19, I thought I was at that age where I'm suppose to go out and be single.
So instead of holding my head down like the rest of the couples on the bus wanted me to, I held my head high and I was proud that I was single. As I got off the bus I pulled my phone out and did the only logical thing a single 19 year old boy would do. I called a very good friend of mine named Rachel, and I invited her to my place to have our own Valentines date. I didn't have to buy her flowers, I didn't take her to dinner, we just "hung out" and it was awesome
Friday, 15 February 2013
Friday, 8 February 2013
Back door stories
One thing I see every time I ride the bus is people having problems getting out of the back door. Those two little panels on each side of the door seem to confuse people every time. These are the top 5 stories I have about people using the back door.
#5. "Last minute sprint" A guy was sitting in the very back corner of the bus. He had his ear phones in and his head was bobbing to his tunes. The bus started to fill up with people and soon people were standing all the way in the back. Oblivious to where he was, and how full the bus was, the guy tried to make his bus ride seem a little shorter. The bus slowly came to a stop, and the guy finally looked to see where he was. He grabbed his back pack and sprinted his way through the crowd to make it to the back door in time. A women was just exiting the back door so the door was going to be open. As the light above the door turned off and the back door started to close, the guy tossed his bag in front of him and dove through the open door. As we pulled away, I looked through the window and saw him lying in the snow bank. A small triumph, for a bus hero.
#4. "BACK DOOR!!!" Everyone has seen this one, and unfortunately I've seen it multiple times. But for the sake of this post I'll tell you my favourite story. A women sitting just above the back door reached up and pulled the yellow string. As the bus slowly came to a stop she made her way to the back door. She stood in front of it and the lights above it came on. She stood there and looked at the door, waiting for something to happen. As the lights turned off and the bus started to move she yelled out "BACK DOOR" The bus stopped and the lights turned on. Again she yelled out "BACK DOOR!" At this point I've come to the conclusion that she thinks the door is suppose to open for her. Thankfuly the man sitting across from the door came to this conclusion as well. He stood up and pressed the pannels for her. "Oh" is all she said as she stepped off the bus.
#3. "Punch it open" The back door can be a problem, even when you use it properly. A young man was getting off the bus, and believe it or not, he was using the back door. He held his hands gentely over the yellow strips to open the door. When they didn't open he pushed his hand a little harder, again they didn't open. Out of know where the young man clinched his fist, wound back, and punched the yellow strip (he may have also yelled fuck.) The doors calmly opened and he stepped off.
#2. "Flipper" A women waited calmly by the back door as the bus came to a stop. The lights above the back door turned on indicating that the doors were ready to be opened. She stepped up to the doors like a batter stepping up to the plate in baseball. She pulled her arms back, her hands in the air opened wide. She then began to slap the back doors repeatedly. I'd say she got in about 6 good slaps on that door before the doors opened.
#1. "Oblivious" My number one story I saw from the back door came from earlier this year. A young man was standing right beside the back door. He had his head phones in and had his back facing the back door. The bus came to a stop and a few people jumped off. I could hear his music so I knew that he probably could't hear anything. As the back door shut, it shut on his back pack. The bell rang from the back and the doors opened. Again the doors shut, and again they hit the young mans back pack. At this point someone pointed at him and let him know his back pack was in the way. But as he turned, the door tried to shut again, again his back pack got in the way. Three times the door shut on this oblivious man's back pack. And I thought it was funny.
#5. "Last minute sprint" A guy was sitting in the very back corner of the bus. He had his ear phones in and his head was bobbing to his tunes. The bus started to fill up with people and soon people were standing all the way in the back. Oblivious to where he was, and how full the bus was, the guy tried to make his bus ride seem a little shorter. The bus slowly came to a stop, and the guy finally looked to see where he was. He grabbed his back pack and sprinted his way through the crowd to make it to the back door in time. A women was just exiting the back door so the door was going to be open. As the light above the door turned off and the back door started to close, the guy tossed his bag in front of him and dove through the open door. As we pulled away, I looked through the window and saw him lying in the snow bank. A small triumph, for a bus hero.
#4. "BACK DOOR!!!" Everyone has seen this one, and unfortunately I've seen it multiple times. But for the sake of this post I'll tell you my favourite story. A women sitting just above the back door reached up and pulled the yellow string. As the bus slowly came to a stop she made her way to the back door. She stood in front of it and the lights above it came on. She stood there and looked at the door, waiting for something to happen. As the lights turned off and the bus started to move she yelled out "BACK DOOR" The bus stopped and the lights turned on. Again she yelled out "BACK DOOR!" At this point I've come to the conclusion that she thinks the door is suppose to open for her. Thankfuly the man sitting across from the door came to this conclusion as well. He stood up and pressed the pannels for her. "Oh" is all she said as she stepped off the bus.
#3. "Punch it open" The back door can be a problem, even when you use it properly. A young man was getting off the bus, and believe it or not, he was using the back door. He held his hands gentely over the yellow strips to open the door. When they didn't open he pushed his hand a little harder, again they didn't open. Out of know where the young man clinched his fist, wound back, and punched the yellow strip (he may have also yelled fuck.) The doors calmly opened and he stepped off.
#2. "Flipper" A women waited calmly by the back door as the bus came to a stop. The lights above the back door turned on indicating that the doors were ready to be opened. She stepped up to the doors like a batter stepping up to the plate in baseball. She pulled her arms back, her hands in the air opened wide. She then began to slap the back doors repeatedly. I'd say she got in about 6 good slaps on that door before the doors opened.
#1. "Oblivious" My number one story I saw from the back door came from earlier this year. A young man was standing right beside the back door. He had his head phones in and had his back facing the back door. The bus came to a stop and a few people jumped off. I could hear his music so I knew that he probably could't hear anything. As the back door shut, it shut on his back pack. The bell rang from the back and the doors opened. Again the doors shut, and again they hit the young mans back pack. At this point someone pointed at him and let him know his back pack was in the way. But as he turned, the door tried to shut again, again his back pack got in the way. Three times the door shut on this oblivious man's back pack. And I thought it was funny.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
The Waiting Room
Your probably thinking to your self, is this post about the bus? Well........ It's not. It's about a documentary called The Waiting Room (Its for a class assignment so don't get used to movie reviews here)
The Waiting Room is set in the emergency room at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California. The movie is mostly about the health care system in the United States and how it may be unfair to some people who are unemployed or people who don't have a large income.
The Movie itself I thought was okay. I thought it was a neat idea that there was no narrator leading you along in the movie, the characters themselves take you through. Because there is no narrator I found myself caring for some of the patients (Or characters, I'm going to be flip flopping these two terms so just know that) and also some of the nurses. But because there was no narrator I felt that the movie lacked a bit of structure. It seemed to me like it was just a bunch of different interesting scenes smashed together, there was no real flow to the movie.
The movie did get me thinking about health care here in Canada and how it compares to the United States. I pretty much grew up in the hospital. I've broken my collar bone over 10 times (I was thankful the time that it broke so bad that it became permanently broken) So I've seen my fair share of hospital waiting rooms. Looking back I don't remember ever waiting hours to see my doctor, but the patients in the movie seem to be waiting an extremely long time.
The other difference is that the fact that our Medicare is prepaid here in Canada. The Canadian governments website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca says that Canadian Medicare is designed to ensure that all residents have reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services, on a prepaid basis. In The Waiting Room a lot of the scenes take place at the checkout desk, where these patients scramble to get as much money as they can to pay for there care. According to the U.S Medicaid web site (http://www.healthcare.gov) Medicaid coverage is designed to be affordable for everyone who is eligible. Cost sharing for Medicaid varies by state but is extremely limited for most participants. Even with the fact that it is designed to be affordable many of the patients did not have Medicaid.
When time came for patients to pay and they knew they couldn't, they would scramble and make up an excuse why they weren't going to be able to pay. The director made a deliberate decision to try and make you feel for these people. For me that tactic back fired, the more they blamed there problems on other people the less I cared for them. Don't get me wrong I feel bad that these people are in this situation, but lets be honest, your in this position because you put your self there.
All in all I think that this was a decent documentary. It really made you feel like a fly on the wall at a hospital in the states. But the way the movie flowed through me off and it just didn't keep my attention.
The Waiting Room is set in the emergency room at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California. The movie is mostly about the health care system in the United States and how it may be unfair to some people who are unemployed or people who don't have a large income.
The Movie itself I thought was okay. I thought it was a neat idea that there was no narrator leading you along in the movie, the characters themselves take you through. Because there is no narrator I found myself caring for some of the patients (Or characters, I'm going to be flip flopping these two terms so just know that) and also some of the nurses. But because there was no narrator I felt that the movie lacked a bit of structure. It seemed to me like it was just a bunch of different interesting scenes smashed together, there was no real flow to the movie.
The movie did get me thinking about health care here in Canada and how it compares to the United States. I pretty much grew up in the hospital. I've broken my collar bone over 10 times (I was thankful the time that it broke so bad that it became permanently broken) So I've seen my fair share of hospital waiting rooms. Looking back I don't remember ever waiting hours to see my doctor, but the patients in the movie seem to be waiting an extremely long time.
The other difference is that the fact that our Medicare is prepaid here in Canada. The Canadian governments website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca says that Canadian Medicare is designed to ensure that all residents have reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services, on a prepaid basis. In The Waiting Room a lot of the scenes take place at the checkout desk, where these patients scramble to get as much money as they can to pay for there care. According to the U.S Medicaid web site (http://www.healthcare.gov) Medicaid coverage is designed to be affordable for everyone who is eligible. Cost sharing for Medicaid varies by state but is extremely limited for most participants. Even with the fact that it is designed to be affordable many of the patients did not have Medicaid.
When time came for patients to pay and they knew they couldn't, they would scramble and make up an excuse why they weren't going to be able to pay. The director made a deliberate decision to try and make you feel for these people. For me that tactic back fired, the more they blamed there problems on other people the less I cared for them. Don't get me wrong I feel bad that these people are in this situation, but lets be honest, your in this position because you put your self there.
All in all I think that this was a decent documentary. It really made you feel like a fly on the wall at a hospital in the states. But the way the movie flowed through me off and it just didn't keep my attention.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Taking out the trash
Usually people hate Mondays, but this semester Mondays are my favorite day. I start at 10am so I get to sleep in, and I end at 1pm so I get to go home early. This particular Monday I stayed a bit late so I could go to the school gym and work out.
With my muscles aching I slowly walked through the cold to my bus stop. I sat in the shelter to keep warm, it was only a coincidence that I had to sit beside a very pretty girl. My bus came a bit early, so I was disappointed that my conversation with the pretty girl was cut short (I'll be honest I forgot what her name was, but I'm sure we were soul mates.) I jumped on my bus and made my was to the back of the bus.
I found a nice seat in the corner of the bus, and I put my backpack on the empty seat beside me. I put my head phones on and started listening to my music. A few stops later a loud clinking sound cut through the sound of my music. I looked up to see a homeless man with at least 5 garbage bags push his way on the bus. I was surprised that the bus driver let him on but I guess he payed his fare. I saw him eye down the seat beside me and I started to worry. I moved my backpack onto my lap and prayed that this man wouldn't throw his bags on me. Sure enough he came and dropped his garbage bags right beside me and sat two seats away from me.
I couldn't help but examine the contents in his garbage bag. I noticed that it wasn't all cans in his bags, there was trash. He had everything from fast food bags too soup cans. I was curious too see where he was going. I'm usually the last one off the bus from the downtown crew because I have to ride all the way to south st.vital, so I figured I'd see where he got off.
As we passed my old high school I started thinking that he was going to ride further then me. At this point I really didn't care because the smell of trash started getting to me. I eventually got to my stop and the thrash man was still on the bus. I got off and thought to myself "Where the fuck was that guy going?"
With my muscles aching I slowly walked through the cold to my bus stop. I sat in the shelter to keep warm, it was only a coincidence that I had to sit beside a very pretty girl. My bus came a bit early, so I was disappointed that my conversation with the pretty girl was cut short (I'll be honest I forgot what her name was, but I'm sure we were soul mates.) I jumped on my bus and made my was to the back of the bus.
I found a nice seat in the corner of the bus, and I put my backpack on the empty seat beside me. I put my head phones on and started listening to my music. A few stops later a loud clinking sound cut through the sound of my music. I looked up to see a homeless man with at least 5 garbage bags push his way on the bus. I was surprised that the bus driver let him on but I guess he payed his fare. I saw him eye down the seat beside me and I started to worry. I moved my backpack onto my lap and prayed that this man wouldn't throw his bags on me. Sure enough he came and dropped his garbage bags right beside me and sat two seats away from me.
I couldn't help but examine the contents in his garbage bag. I noticed that it wasn't all cans in his bags, there was trash. He had everything from fast food bags too soup cans. I was curious too see where he was going. I'm usually the last one off the bus from the downtown crew because I have to ride all the way to south st.vital, so I figured I'd see where he got off.
As we passed my old high school I started thinking that he was going to ride further then me. At this point I really didn't care because the smell of trash started getting to me. I eventually got to my stop and the thrash man was still on the bus. I got off and thought to myself "Where the fuck was that guy going?"
Thursday, 17 January 2013
BBM Friend?
Yes I have a blackberry, and yes I'm aware it sucks. I walk around all day watching people walk by happily talking to their friends while surfing the web on there fancy Iphones and androids. While I have to sit there with my phone in the air looking for service.
But the one thing that my blackberry has that your Iphone doesn't have, is an amazing thing called "Black Berry Messenger" or BBM. Its just like texting someone, but instead you can see if the other person has read your text. Basically it gives you the depressing option of knowing when someone is ignoring you. On Wednesday though I made a new friend that someone with an Iphone wouldn't have.
It seemed like any other ordinary ride home from school. I was siting in the back of the bus, watching people to find material for this blog. Nothing had happened that was very interesting this week so I was getting kind of desperate to find something. As I frantically looked around I noticed a young pregnant women who was staring at me. I tried to pretend that I didn't notice her staring at me.
As I continued to look around the bus my phone started vibrating. I pulled out my blackberry and answered a text. As I finished my text I looked up and saw the young girl looking at me. Her lips started moving, so I took my head phones out of my ears.
"I see you have a blackberry too! Do you like it?" she asked
"ummm ya I guess it's alright" I replied
What she did next definitely took me back a little. She pushed her phone at me and showed me her barcode. (For all of you who don't know, the barcode on a blackberry is something where another blackberry can scan the barcode and you instantly become BBM friends) I hesitated for a moment, what do I just ad a complete stranger on my phone. Then I thought to my self "how funny would this be to blog about" so I scanned her barcode. And that's the story how me and Melissa became BBM friends
But the one thing that my blackberry has that your Iphone doesn't have, is an amazing thing called "Black Berry Messenger" or BBM. Its just like texting someone, but instead you can see if the other person has read your text. Basically it gives you the depressing option of knowing when someone is ignoring you. On Wednesday though I made a new friend that someone with an Iphone wouldn't have.
It seemed like any other ordinary ride home from school. I was siting in the back of the bus, watching people to find material for this blog. Nothing had happened that was very interesting this week so I was getting kind of desperate to find something. As I frantically looked around I noticed a young pregnant women who was staring at me. I tried to pretend that I didn't notice her staring at me.
As I continued to look around the bus my phone started vibrating. I pulled out my blackberry and answered a text. As I finished my text I looked up and saw the young girl looking at me. Her lips started moving, so I took my head phones out of my ears.
"I see you have a blackberry too! Do you like it?" she asked
"ummm ya I guess it's alright" I replied
What she did next definitely took me back a little. She pushed her phone at me and showed me her barcode. (For all of you who don't know, the barcode on a blackberry is something where another blackberry can scan the barcode and you instantly become BBM friends) I hesitated for a moment, what do I just ad a complete stranger on my phone. Then I thought to my self "how funny would this be to blog about" so I scanned her barcode. And that's the story how me and Melissa became BBM friends
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Back to school
If you're sitting at home thinking to your self "Wow Daniel hasn't updated his blog in a really long time" well your right. I've been on winter vacation and it was wonderful. I took the bus a total of 0 times. But all good things come to an end eventually.
On Tuesday morning I rolled out of bed at 6:00am and started my day. At 6:45 I made the all to familiar walk from my house to the bus stop. Waiting at the bus stop is depressing enough as it is, but waiting there before dawn makes it especially depressing. I waited in the cold for five minutes until I saw the big glowing headlights of my bus turn the corner and head towards me. I made my way to the side of the curb and watched as my bus slowed down and came to a stop, 15 feet away from me. Snow filled the inside of my shoes as I high stepped my way through the snow bank towards the open doors of the bus. When I got to the bus I was greeted with a nice "Good morning" from the bus driver.
I flashed the driver my bus pass and made my way through the empty bus to the back. I sat down in the corner and took a deep breathe, ahhhh that old familiar stink of the bus was still there. I leaned my head against the cold window and tried to get a little shut eye, but at the next stop two ladies got on that felt like I needed to know what Sharon told their boss on Monday.
The bus got pretty crowded by the time we were in Osborne Village, so I gave my seat up to a young women who was bravely wearing 4 inch heels on the bus. Two stops later she got off, and of course by the time she squeezed pass me some one had already taken the seat. So I stood there for another 10 minutes until my stop came. I jumped off the bus, took a deep breathe of that cold Winnipeg air, and thought to my self "I'm back at school"
On Tuesday morning I rolled out of bed at 6:00am and started my day. At 6:45 I made the all to familiar walk from my house to the bus stop. Waiting at the bus stop is depressing enough as it is, but waiting there before dawn makes it especially depressing. I waited in the cold for five minutes until I saw the big glowing headlights of my bus turn the corner and head towards me. I made my way to the side of the curb and watched as my bus slowed down and came to a stop, 15 feet away from me. Snow filled the inside of my shoes as I high stepped my way through the snow bank towards the open doors of the bus. When I got to the bus I was greeted with a nice "Good morning" from the bus driver.
I flashed the driver my bus pass and made my way through the empty bus to the back. I sat down in the corner and took a deep breathe, ahhhh that old familiar stink of the bus was still there. I leaned my head against the cold window and tried to get a little shut eye, but at the next stop two ladies got on that felt like I needed to know what Sharon told their boss on Monday.
The bus got pretty crowded by the time we were in Osborne Village, so I gave my seat up to a young women who was bravely wearing 4 inch heels on the bus. Two stops later she got off, and of course by the time she squeezed pass me some one had already taken the seat. So I stood there for another 10 minutes until my stop came. I jumped off the bus, took a deep breathe of that cold Winnipeg air, and thought to my self "I'm back at school"
Thursday, 6 December 2012
For Love!!!!!!!!!!!
I normally hate when I'm on the bus and couples decide to fondle each other right in front of me. Don't get me wrong i love a good cuddle, just not when I'm in public. I feel like it's so obnoxious to show off how "in love" you are in public. When ever i do it i feel bad for people who are alone so i generally try and stay away from it.
So by now we all probably know what happened on the bus this week................. Nothing. i got on and had a wonderful ride. Just kidding of course two young lovers walked on the bus and sat in front of me and made out the whole time. I had a few problems with the situation that was unfolding in front of me: First, the girl was super hot so i was really jealous, second, it was 7:30 in the morning. Seriously i barely have the energy to shower at 7 in the morning, let alone have a full on make out session.
I put my headphones in and did my best to ignore the two. An older lady got on the bus and walked down the isle and tried to find a seat. I would have gotten up and gave her my seat, but their was a man beside me in the aisle seat and he was snoozing. What happened next surprised every one on the bus.
The young man that was making out with his girlfriend somehow saw the old lady, got up and gave her his seat. As he held on to the pole in the middle of the isle he gave his girlfriend a smile. The two ladies sitting beside each other now got involved in a very intense conversation about love. Every time the old lady mentioned love the young girl would look up and give her boyfriend a smile. Clearly I'm not the biggest romantic, but on that bus ride i think i saw love.
When i got off the bus i passed the young man on the way to the door. I was tempted to give him a kiss, but i just decided to smile and keep walking. As i looked back i thought to my self "Ya if i were her id be making out with that guy all the time to"
So by now we all probably know what happened on the bus this week................. Nothing. i got on and had a wonderful ride. Just kidding of course two young lovers walked on the bus and sat in front of me and made out the whole time. I had a few problems with the situation that was unfolding in front of me: First, the girl was super hot so i was really jealous, second, it was 7:30 in the morning. Seriously i barely have the energy to shower at 7 in the morning, let alone have a full on make out session.
I put my headphones in and did my best to ignore the two. An older lady got on the bus and walked down the isle and tried to find a seat. I would have gotten up and gave her my seat, but their was a man beside me in the aisle seat and he was snoozing. What happened next surprised every one on the bus.
The young man that was making out with his girlfriend somehow saw the old lady, got up and gave her his seat. As he held on to the pole in the middle of the isle he gave his girlfriend a smile. The two ladies sitting beside each other now got involved in a very intense conversation about love. Every time the old lady mentioned love the young girl would look up and give her boyfriend a smile. Clearly I'm not the biggest romantic, but on that bus ride i think i saw love.
When i got off the bus i passed the young man on the way to the door. I was tempted to give him a kiss, but i just decided to smile and keep walking. As i looked back i thought to my self "Ya if i were her id be making out with that guy all the time to"
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