Bus Chronicles 4: Photoshoot

Every morning of every weekday I wait for the bus. I usually see the same people. We don’t say much. We don’t even look at each other, really. I approach the stop, sit down, grab my book and read, barely noting the existence of the others. It’s not just me, it’s a trend here.

At least, I tend to notice the others. There’s the Japanese? man who reads hieroglyphic books, the writing goes top to bottom instead of left to right; the bigger girl who ALWAYS wears some sort of mini skirt and cheap top: today’s outfit included a faded hot pink athletic skirt paired with a black Hawaiian print halter; the blind gal with her super cute yellow lab guide dog; and the round George Costanza like man with circle glasses, fuzz-lined crocs and an African print pillbox hat. We get on at the same stop.

On a day not unlike any other, sitting at the bus stop, reading my book, Mr. Costanza decides to interrupt my routine.

“Uh excuse me,” he says as shy as I’m sure you’re imagining, “I’m a photographer and I’d really like to take your picture sometime.”

Great. Conflict in my brain first thing in the morning.

My head is saying “Uhh NO! Don’t you remember reading about that rapist/murder in the paper the other day? What was his name: Rodney Alcala? Didn’t he take pictures of his victims first?”

But then my heart chimes in: “Aw the poor guy. He’s obviously nervous… must have had to gather some courage just to ask you. You gonna ruin his day by shooting him down? What excuse do you have? ‘No thanks, Rodney Alcala was a photographer too and he killed his subjects?’”

He leans over and smiles at me, handing me his makeshift business card.

“Uh sure. Maybe sometime." I finally answer. "I’m gonna be out of town quite a bit in the next few weeks graduation season and all but maybe after I get back?” Knowing full well I’ll be moving once I get back in a matter of weeks.

“Oh ya that sounds great. I want to wait for the weather to get better anyways. I usually do all my shoots at the library.”

So far, so good. I haven’t seen the fella again. I’ve been taking the earlier bus. But if all else fails, at least the library is a public place?