MAX Red Line, MAX Blue Line, to #9 and Code, Code, Code

I was coding like a mad man, so I decided to hit my second place.  A second place is one of those places, that isn’t home, that you go to think.  For me, I like to ride around town, generally on transit because then I can think and not be interrupted.  It could be thought of as odd, but it keeps my attention from running off, the irony that it is.

I boarded the MAX Red Line across the river from downtown to the Convention Center Stop, then walked back toward the Rose Quarter Transit Center ever so slowly to kill time.  The Blue Line, which is what I was after, arrived shortly after I arrived at the stop.  I boarded and pulled my second brain out (that’s the computer/laptop).  I immediately dived into some architectural ideas and more code.

Bicycle Fare Officer Inspector Dude

The trip was uneventful until about 3 stops from my destination of Gresham.  Upon leaving the third stop two bicycle officers boarded the train and started checking for fare.  Of course, my response was, “rad, bust some punks”.  Sure enough, this one guy who had been on the train since 42nd or 60th didn’t have fare.  He didn’t even sugar coat it, but he lied like the fool he showed himself to be.  He spouted off with every facial recognition of a liar, “No sir, I don’t have a fare, I was only going two stops.”  I immediately thought, “two stops my foot!”

The officer told him he’d have to get off at the next stop and he’d check his name and write some paperwork.  The officer asked the kid for ID, which he reported he didn’t have any.  This was complete malarkey too, as the guy had his ID out about 5 minutes ago twiddling it in his fingers.

Me being a non-rat, I still couldn’t bare to say anything.  But I was piping to chime in and correct his outright lies.  At this point, I figured whatever, it was entertainment and I’d just let the officers figure it out for themselves.

Gresham, Land of Idiots and Morons

I got off in Gresham and wasn’t surprised one bit to see the buses shut without drivers.  It is a layover point and I’m sure they drivers are told to shut the buses.  The scum that line in Gresham are ripe for finding targets to desecrate, and TriMet has big huge ones in their buses and LRVs.  I only had a mere 5 minutes transfer in Gresham between the MAX and the #9, so I didn’t mind too much.  Eventually the drive arrived, entered through the back door, and let everyone else on.

We headed off into the darkness with a bus full of idiots.  Carrying on in blathering absurdity about things I often forget, on purpose, that people talk about.  Trite and absurd, but it was entertainment none the less, and I was being left alone.  Within 25-30 blocks of getting out of downtown Gresham we rid ourselves of the idiots and the bus grew quite with blue collar workers and simple cordial people boarding here and there.  With the idiots gone, the bus was now less entertaining, but any theoretical threat had also left with them.

The ride went smoothly and eventually I bounded off of the bus and walked my 1/2 block home.

Goofy Stats for the Ride About

• Trip Start:  7:24pm by me walking away from Backspace downtown toward MAX.
• Trip End:  9:XXpm by my walking 1/2 block home.
• Idiots:  6
• Smelly Cigarette Smokers:  1  (out of the dozens of riders)
• Acts of Respect or Cordial Behavior:  3
• Peak Load on #9:  20
• Peak Load on MAX Blue Line:  126-131  (I missed right front high floor section, but could tell there where occupants)
• Peak Load on MAX Red Line:  60-70  (Estimated as I was only on for 3 stops)
• Police Officers for Entire Ride:  2
• Proven non-paying customers:  1
• People on MAX Blue Line when non-paying customer was caught:  12
• Languages Heard:  2  (English & Spanish)
• Total mileage approximately: 30 mile round trip.
• MAX Blue Line Light Rail Trip Time:  35 minutes.
• #9 Bus Trip Time:  42 minutes.