From St. Louis: "Friday, October 3," by emrsster (Today's Bus Story)

Pershing and Skinker: It’s around 5 pm, and I’m waiting for the #16 to get to daycare, where I will pick up M and then wait for R. I’m on the phone with my sister discussing Important Family Stuff, when a guy approaches the stop. (Read more here.)

From Seattle: "Dirt on Blue Sleeves, " by Nathan Vass

I hear the second man muttering. They're the only people on the bus– it's my last trip, a late-night short 49 to close out the evening. The pair strike me as first-generation African versions of the Odd Couple, or maybe Laurel & Hardy, except this time Hardy's not tall and heavy, but the short squat fellow. (Read the whole story here.)

From San Francisco: "Bus Report # 840," by Rachel

Last night on the 2 Clement, on the way home...

I got on the bus and quickly walked past the man sitting in the front. He is a familiar face around the neighborhood, always talking loudly to himself and to people who I don't think exist, often saying threatening things. He always seems agitated, wraps rubber bands around the cuffs of his pants, and reminds me of a feverish scarecrow. I know he's got some problems he can't solve on his own, but he frightens me anyway.

He sat in the front of the bus and talked to nobody, at least, that's what I thought. (Read more here.)

From The Bronx: New York City bus operator Ronald Ruiz remembers one of his passengers.

“So I ran back to the bus, and I said, 'Sweetie, your restaurant is right here.'”(Listen to the whole story here.)

Busboy's Annual Pass: Was It Worth It? Spreadsheet for September.

81 boardings is a new monthly record. The previous record was 52 in April and May. I can account for 21 of those new boardings: three trips (six boardings) to a DVD rental place, two trips (eight boardings) to the birdseed store, one trip (one boarding) to my car repair shop, and another two trips (10 boardings) for some bi-monthly meetings which I began attending in September.

The eight trips left over must have been joy rides...

See below for the cumulative totals since January 1.

You can find out what this is all about here.