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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

City Stories from the 358

Posted by Jen Graves on Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 1:14 PM

Have you ever met "I'M A LIGHT-SKINNED BLACK WOMAN!"?

A bus driver blogs.

H/t to Michelle.

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Comments (17) RSS

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I am going to subscribe to this. I've been on Nathan's bus a few times and was always impressed by his demeanor and happy attitude. Very excited to learn he has a blog, and I am even more excited that its well-written with great story-telling.

Posted by amateurlawprof

on January 22, 2013 at 1:43 PM

Can't a city worker can get fired for blogging? It would suck if promoting this got him canned.

Posted by tkc on January 22, 2013 at 1:55 PM

I've never met "Light-Skinned Black Woman" but I used to ride the #358, and its previous incarnations (6/360/359), with her several times. When I first encountered her in the mid-90's, I was an insulated 18 year-old who was terrified of her. Later on, I just found her to be gratingly obnoxious, though I'd still never want to fuck with her. One time this sanctimonious white boy tried to scold LSBW for verbally harassing a young woman for being white and blonde. Scolding her went no where, of course, and she got off the bus yelling and even more belligerent than when she got on. After she left, I had to ask him, "You're not from around here, are you?" He wasn't, so I explained, "Dude, this woman's been riding the bus and acting out like this for years. It's not worth engaging with her like that."
"But it's not right," he countered, "what she said was racist."
"Uh huh," I agreed, "but it's not her fault, she's mentally ill. You're not going to school her, you can't correct her behavior or get her to see things your way because she is out of her gourd." Even for being obnoxious and out of her gourd, she's a force of nature. And kind of a Seattle institution, no pun intended.

Posted by go figueroa on January 22, 2013 at 2:18 PM

bus drivers work for the county, not the city.

Posted by scary tyler moore

on January 22, 2013 at 2:35 PM

Ah, the 358. I rode that daily for 2 years. So many special people.

Posted by Pithy Name on January 22, 2013 at 3:08 PM

I have a new blog crush.

Posted by TVDinner

on January 22, 2013 at 3:18 PM

I used to spend a lot of time on the 358. Some of the worst odors I've ever encountered have been on that route.

Posted by StuckInUtah on January 22, 2013 at 3:30 PM

This is a good blog.

Posted by Cascadian Bacon on January 22, 2013 at 3:40 PM

I'm pretty sure LSBW is on the 7 from time to time, too. She likes to serenade me when she's drunk.

Posted by Mike Smith on January 22, 2013 at 3:41 PM

I rode the 358 for years and met a lot of interesting people. I got a raise and now I ride the 41. Boring.

Posted by stonato on January 22, 2013 at 4:21 PM

I HAVE MET THAT LADY. I have audio of her yelling at me.

Posted by icouldliveinhope on January 22, 2013 at 5:13 PM

"LOOK AT YOU WEARING STRETCHPANTS AS TIGHTS LEARN HOW TO DRESS"

Posted by icouldliveinhope on January 22, 2013 at 5:14 PM

That bus driver's a saint

Posted by chi_type on January 22, 2013 at 10:17 PM

I've encountered LSBW before. It has to be the same woman, screaming at some poor woman minding her own business WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? I'M BLACK. YOU'RE A LESBIAN. I HAD AN ABORTION. I HAD SEX. I HAD AN ABORTION. On the 358, of course.

Posted by Fnarf