Monday, January 30, 2012

Midwinter Poetry Slam

There's something about winter that really intensifies my love/hate relationship with transit. My patience is short, but my ride is pre-heated. I never have to scrape a windshield or move for plows, but my toes have some frostbite damage.

In any case, I'm a Mac grad living in Minnesota in January. And that can only mean one thing - I'm doing a J-term project. Bus haikus.

back door! back door, please!
pushing doesn't help, lady
touch here to open

a bird in the hand
better than 2 on NexTrip
should have made that bus

seven years riding
fare card works inside mittens?
just occurred to me

I should always wait
I can outwalk the 16
where is my 50?

I just ran five blocks
don't shake your head at me, sir
open the damn door

sitting a bit close
are you reading my facebook
over my shoulder?

why do the people
from suburban park and rides
like the queue so much?

number 63
is impossibly quiet
that is just not right

I'm making sure that
you're looking at me looking
at your badge number


It's almost too easy once you get started. Post your own! I will carve the best ones into the back of the seat in front of me. (Uh, just kidding, Metro Transit!)
Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

17 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    tiny cell speakers
    rocking the sounds of static
    please get some headphones

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TransiteerJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:42 PM

      Ha. This makes me want to mumble into a microphone "please turn down your music."

      Delete
  2. Katie SpaetieJanuary 30, 2012 at 7:49 PM

    Swiping my SmarTrip.
    Added twenty bucks last week.
    Empty already.

    (some DC transit haiku-ery)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:10 PM

    Riding the 6 bus
    Sitting sideways in the front
    odd smells next to me

    Sitting in the back
    pay attention to the smells
    Don't sit next to me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TransiteerFebruary 1, 2012 at 4:23 PM

      The back can be dangerous because it seats an awkwardly imprecise number of people...

      This isn't a couch
      and I don't want to snuggle
      move along, buddy

      Delete
  4. Katie SpaetieJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:29 PM

    Where is the H4?
    NextBus said 8:51.
    Now it's 9:15.

    ReplyDelete
  5. TransiteerJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:40 PM

    Haaa. Katie Spaetie. It's been too long!

    Good work, everybody. Keep 'em coming.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AlexJanuary 31, 2012 at 2:37 PM

    Pre-teen bus riders
    Good start, but not next to me
    Burp in their friend's face

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TransiteerFebruary 1, 2012 at 4:19 PM

      Related:

      Know more than I should
      about your loser prom date
      don't talk on the phone

      Delete
  7. AlexJanuary 31, 2012 at 2:59 PM

    Oh no, you're right about how addictive this is. Here's one about the 18G:

    Next stop, 31st
    Why aren't we turning on Lake?
    Pull the cord and run

    Here's a version if 'aren't' is two syllables:

    Next stop, 31st
    Wait, why aren't we turning?
    Pull the cord and run

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katie SpaetieJanuary 31, 2012 at 11:14 PM

      You could say in the second line:

      Wait, why are we not turning?

      :)

      Delete
    2. TransiteerFebruary 1, 2012 at 4:12 PM

      I really like the route specific haikus. It made me shake my head just thinking about that route. One for the 87 bus:

      short bus to highland
      are we going east AND west?
      gilbert street...really?

      Delete
    3. AlexFebruary 2, 2012 at 12:10 PM

      I never knew that was called Gilbert, I always thought of it as 'Frontage Road.'

      Here's a topical one:

      Unfrozen winter
      Plus dirt means obscurity
      What stop are we on?

      Delete
  8. UnknownFebruary 7, 2012 at 5:20 PM

    Why a full sized bus
    For such a short route 8?
    And still always late.

    ReplyDelete
  9. TransiteerFebruary 8, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    Ha. How many times have I said

    Did I miss that 8?
    Or am I just early by
    thirty-one minutes?

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2012 at 10:43 PM

    Along comes the 4
    Penn 50th, Bryant south
    Lyndale,Hennepin

    There goes the 16
    Full of new college students
    Very confused

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2012 at 10:45 PM

    ooops

    very confused(delete)
    They are all confused(insert)

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)