Friday, June 09, 2006
How can we make bus riding less pleasant?
As a car guy, I'm in favor of good public transportation. A good public transportation network can be useful if you want to own a collector car that isn't the most reliable or practical vehicle. And if it works, it could mean less street congestion, which makes it more fun when you do drive.
Unfortunately, public transportation has several problems. With buses, you have to deal with route maps and transfers. Not to mention cramped seating. But the worst thing about riding a bus can be if some obnoxious stranger who hasn't bathed in a week and has manners to match his hygene boards the bus. Not fun.
Well, a group in the Twin Cities has been sponsoring something almost as bad: paying poets to come aboard the bus and read unpublished poetry. Bookslut reports that one of the poets calls herself "Karma the Oddest Goddess," and if that name suggests anything of their poetic ability or grasp on reality, I'm not sure these poets are at all preferable to unbathed drunkards.
I found this one at Fireflies in the Clouds, where Matt D. (who may have one of the funniest takes on it) had found it on Making Light, where Patrick had found it on Bookslut.
Unfortunately, public transportation has several problems. With buses, you have to deal with route maps and transfers. Not to mention cramped seating. But the worst thing about riding a bus can be if some obnoxious stranger who hasn't bathed in a week and has manners to match his hygene boards the bus. Not fun.
Well, a group in the Twin Cities has been sponsoring something almost as bad: paying poets to come aboard the bus and read unpublished poetry. Bookslut reports that one of the poets calls herself "Karma the Oddest Goddess," and if that name suggests anything of their poetic ability or grasp on reality, I'm not sure these poets are at all preferable to unbathed drunkards.
I found this one at Fireflies in the Clouds, where Matt D. (who may have one of the funniest takes on it) had found it on Making Light, where Patrick had found it on Bookslut.
