Dirty Burt!

Today's post will (hopefully) shed further light on the mysteries of the Chinatown bus. Once again, Vamoose left me hanging. This time, however, I was able to make it to 7th & Eye in plenty of time to catch the 9:30 Today's Bus. On the way, I passed another bus -- ostensibly owned by Paragon Tours -- parked beside the old D.C. Convention Center, which is currently being demolished by an impressive array of equipment. The driver was busying himself by cleaning off a message that had been written in the grime on the back of the bus, and which read "Dirty Burt!"

His haste indicated that he could not read the phrase; his use of a pink index card as a cleaning tool seemed to confirm that he thought it to be some kind of obscenity. I considered asking him when he would next be departing for New York, but realized I still had eight minutes to make it to Today's. It wouldn't have mattered anyway -- despite the "Paragon" livery, I soon learned that he was employed by Today's and was likely scheduled to drive the 11:45 bus.

Despite the abundance of buses (well, two, counting the one I passed and the one parked on Eye Street), the 9:30 bus and its driver were, for once, delayed. I felt at least partly vindicated for the two previous occasions when I found myself chasing the bus down 6th Street at 9:27. When the bus did arrive, it also bore the name Paragon Tours on its side. So much for logic and brand consistency in the dog-eat-dog world of gray market transportation.

Surprisingly, the driver spoke excellent English and saw fit to make two brief announcements before departure: first, the ride would take between four and four-and-a-half hours, traffic permitting, and, second, the lavatory lid must be closed to prevent offensive odors, seeing as it is merely a container and not really a working plumbing assembly. Seemed simple enough.

At any rate, I have little to report other than my newfound confidence in Today's Bus. While no films are shown, the buses are run with dizzying efficiency. When we arrived in New York, the driver was kind enough to point out that traffic might prevent a timely arrival on East Broadway, and recommended that customers pressed for time disembark near City Hall instead. I had grown not to expect such helpful hints in the past, but I was encouraged by what I experienced today.

Sadly, there is no such encouragement when it comes to employment prospects down in the District. It seems that most firms where I might be likely to seek a job offer little or no pay. There is, of course, no sin worse than self-pity, but it is difficult to keep one's spirits high when a small weekly stipend begins to look like a king's ransom.

And while D.C. has plenty to recommend it, I share in Halfzie's astonishment at its citizens' apparent inability -- or unwillingness -- to shovel their sidewalks in a timely fashion. Last month's snowstorm left about three inches in Washington, and only about one in ten residents took it upon themselves to clear a path. Meanwhile, New York got about 18 inches, most of which had been cleared away within 24 hours.

By now, of course, the snow has melted and is no longer a concern. But I suppose there is little to be gained by lamenting such inattention in a city where the water service was interrupted twice in the past two weeks, for several hours and without any notice, so that DCWASA could perform routine maintenance. So much for fair warning.