From Birmingham, Alabama: "The people of MAX: some of the people I've met riding the bus," by Ian Hoppe for AL.com

Most of my friends, family and acquaintances, after finding out that I am riding buses in Birmingham, lead their line of questioning with something akin to, "I bet you've seen some crazy stuff, huh?"

For a variety of reasons mostly having to do with inexperience, a lot of people believe that the city's buses are a haven of revelry and mischief and that every bus ride is peppered with violence and illicit activities.

I hate to disappoint everyone when I reiterate: This could not be further from the truth. Apart from the initial excitement of a new activity, the bus rides are pretty mundane and quiet, as they should be. (Read the whole article here.)