After work on the 14 Mission again

Today it's a 5 year old-ish kid trying to eat a plastic kid-sized chair marked $1.49 with the image of a bunny/girl creature screened onto the seat. Her brother plays the role of disciplinarian seeing that his mother is quite busy staring out of the window.

The backseats are habitated by a group of ten teenagers who chased the backdoor and caught it, slipping inside without having to provide fare. Master P is blasting from the portable stereo hugged by one of the kids as they slide out tagalog and english in impromptu lyrics.

Ms. Sanrio, who I see on lucky days, has a habit of copying what people say and then laughing this high pitched howl which always makes me think of Hello Kitty on crack. In the past I have seen her try to get in on conversations between other cantonese speaking women, but usually the speakers ignore her as much as they can as her laughter fills the bus. Today she is singing, copying the teenager's take on Master P, "nah nah nah naaaaah." She continues copying parts of their conversation and cracking up after she repeats their words. "Big baby." Laughter. "Eleven." Laughter. "Yeaaaah." laughter. "Let's Go." Laughter.

It seems everyone gets off at 4th Street and Mission and now it's too quiet. I can hear the shaking seats and poles, the growling engine as the bus idles at 3rd Street waiting for the light. The electricity pumps through the overhead wires and the pneumatic doors creak open and swing shut.