Day One: The Bus Ride and The Banquet

Other than a quick shuttle ride to the State Fair, today was my first time ever riding a city bus. I was pretty nervous for the new experience, and my Mom was all worried saying, "I hope you're not going alone!!!" It wasn't that scary ;)
Holly and I walked into the bus station not knowing what to expect. The station was warm and clean, and had a much calmer atmosphere than I expected. The first person I saw was an older gentleman who was kind of scruffy and sad-looking, but he was sporting very nice, new boots. I'm not sure if he is homeless and spends the day staying warm in the bus station or if he was just waiting for his ride.
After looking around for a moment, we walked over to a teller-type counter to buy a bus ticket... this is were we began learning about the bus station. Apparently, standing 2 feet away from the counter does not signify that one is "in line." We immediately got budged by a well-dressed, middle-aged man who leaned into the counter when he talked like he was sharing CIA information; so once he stepped aside I quickly stepped up to avoid another budging. The lady behind the counter seemed gruff and intimidating, so I whispered to Holly that I would hate to be on her bad side.
I asked how much it would cost to ride the bus for a couple hours. "One dollar. You're not riding for a couple hours! You get one bus ride." Yikes. So I handed her my dollar and she harshly informed me that we don't pay at the counter. Frightened and slightly amused by her unfriendliness, Holly and I gathered information we had heard from Mr. Budger and decided to walk towards the buses.
We chose to ride Route 8, the North Industrial path. We boarded our bus (which happens to be that pink Avera bus that has a picture of my aunt on the side!), and thankfully the driver seemed much friendlier than the teller lady. We sat down across from each other, and I was next to an older lady wearing a long pink coat. After a few minutes, we noticed that we were sitting in a handicapped/senior section, so we decided to give up our seats. Mr. Budger was sitting nearby, so I made eye contact and moved to sit just one seat away from him.
A few more people boarded the bus, and several of them appeared to be acquainted with each other. Among the passengers were several Native Americans, a couple boys that looked to be in high school, and a couple other white people. Before taking off, Mrs. Pink Coat spoke up towards the bus driver, "Ya ready to go back to California, Roberto?" He chuckled and then talked in wonderment about South Dakota winters. His kind and gentle personality made me wonder if he has children, and sure enough, he mentioned at least one daughter.
As we headed north on Minnesota Ave, I observed the passengers and thought about how different city life is from my rural lifestyle. I was hoping to make conversation with some passengers, but most of the riders avoided eye contact and didn't encourage any chit-chat. Once I almost worked up the courage to talk to Mr. Budger, but then he faced the front and I decided to not disturb him.
Mr. Budger and 3 other men got off the bus at the State Pen, and all I could think is that they must have jobs there.
Shortly after that stop, Mr. Budger's seat was filled with a new boarder, this time a very well-dressed African American man who smelled like French Fries. He wore fancy leather shoes, but was otherwise bundled up for the blizzard. I was hoping he would want to talk, but he either gets bus-sick or just didn't want to talk because he sat on the edge of his seat and leaned forward the whole ride. I learned from observation that he was a "transfer" passenger. When we returned to the bus station, Mr. French Fry raced off toward another bus.
Our driver Roberto and the regular riders acted friendly towards each other, exchanging farewells such as, "Take care, Man," and "Walk carefully!" Roberto seems like he would be a good friend.
Many of the passengers carried a bus pass card; Holly and I were definitely the minority who paid cash. One young boy, probably middle-school aged, boarded the bus with a backpack. He seemed like a confident bus rider.
One of the high school-aged guys mouthed along to his iPod the entire trip, and I'm pretty sure he was well aware that I was taking notes on people.
In less than half of an hour we had traveled as far north as 60th and Cliff and back again to the bus station downtown. The trip felt pretty short, but it was long enough for one lady to fall asleep.
When we got back to the bus station, Roberto happily thanked us and wished us a good evening. Holly and I walked back to her car in the parking ramp, and her car didn't start. I called my roommate with jumper cables, and she and her helpful boyfriend were instantly on their way to come to our aid. Here's the puzzler: after a minute, her car did start. This of course was much to our relief, but I am confused at how the battery magically re-powered itself.
Our next destination was the Banquet. We arrived by 5:00, but nothing happened until 5:30 except for this one talkative lady telling us about eating Chinese food and wanting a nap. There were a ton of volunteers (probably close to 50), so nobody had to work too hard. I got my favorite job of pouring drinks, and along with an in-love high school couple and a few adults, we were in charge of 4 tables. One guest, a lonely-seeming man, scared me really bad, so I pretended to be busy even when I wasn't. He told me to sit down and talk, and he just stared at me and told me I was cute. It really freaked me out, so I quickly decided that I needed to make another round with the pitchers. Later he flagged me down to top off his water cup, and the high school couple teased me about him.
When it was my turn to eat, I decided to sit by a lady rather than a man, because Mr. Scary made me hesitant towards men for awhile. The lady I sat next to is probably in her mid-20s and she is very jovial and smiley. She told me she has a 2 year old daughter and a 1 year old son. Both her kids live with their dad, but she goes to stay with them sometimes. She doesn't have any job, but she is looking for one. She told me she scored high on her GED and thinks she should go to college for something. She was very happy and seemed grateful that I sat with her. Of the 9 meals a week the Banquet serves, she eats there most of the time with her mother who is a Chatty Cathy. They seem to be a very cheery family, and it was fun to talk with such a chipper lady.
When Miss Smiley left, I went back to work, which had slowed down considerably by then. As we wrapped up work for the evening, I visited with another woman guest who had gotten an art minor from USF and hopes to someday obtain a Bachelor's Degree. She was also very chatty, and it was fun to see another happy lady.
One man was wearing Carhartt overalls and a fleece hood over a stocking hat. He said he keeps warm, so I hope that means he has a home to go to after his day of working outside.
We left the Banquet by 8:00, and Holly burned rubber to get up the hill by Minnesota Ave.
Today was a good day. I really enjoyed my experiences, and I can now say I've ridden a city bus! Wahoo!