Evening star., 1952-11-10
By Richard RODGERS

pennies from the floor.
This is the third time you've
taken a Accent ride in my cab"
the driver said. 'You owe me a
dollar-twenty. Here's your change.
Start counting"
And he tucked the bill In his
billfold and sat back happily to
watch the man count out $3.50
pennies.
A score of cabbies swore that
Ctory's true.
Bus Drivers Seethe.
Bus drivers seethe over people
who can see the bus coming
blocks away, but don't get their
fare out until they board it.
"And these women!" q busman
said. "They get In and sit down
and take their money out and
wave it at you like you ought to
get up and go back to them to get
It."
Passengers rate pretty far up
on the list of stupid questioners.
lone got in one day and asked
me, DO you go straight" a bus
driver said. II told her. Lady,
they won't let us go sideways. I"
Another driver said he had q
passenger who asked, do you go
straight up?" The driver said he
informed the fellow that he didn't
plan to go straight up unless
somebody had planted a bomb
under the bus.
Then there was the amply up
l1olstered. fussily dressed lady who
poked her head inside bus and
asked, Driver, are there any seats
on this bus?" r.
Seats Are Still There.
The weary pilot replied, Lady,
there were q lot Of 'em when ]
started driving this morning. ]
guess they're still there. unless
somebody carted 'em away"
Another trait of bus riders that
outrages the drivers is the busi-
ness Of hanging on the signal cord.
'Buzzer ringers" the drivers call
them.
Bus drivers are not agreed on
who's worse-the women or the
men. Most of their criticism is
aimed at women, but Of course.
the critics are men. Nor are the
drivers agreed on whether bus
radios are good or bad.
Some Of them complained they
had to keep the squawkbox
turned on all the time and that
It gets mighty wearing. They
said passengers with hearing aids
have to turn of their electric
ears.
One anti-radio man suffered in
silence for blocks. a driver said.
and then the passenger leaped to
his feet and screamed, Damn
the radio! Damn the radio! Damn
the radio!" and subsidized back
into his seat, satisfied now that
he had blown of steam.
All Sorts of Stories.
Drivers say women spout all
sorts Of stories when they want
q limited bus to stop and let them
of. One declared she was about
to have a baby. (She stayed
aboard, though, and didn't have
it,
A number of women feign sick
ness on the limiteds. The drivers
are bitter when these "sick" fair
ones Chamber off the bus agilely
and stride briskly away.
One driver had to stop his bus
and get out while a red-faced
lady made emergency repairs on
O textile article.
This gal was getting on the bus
when a piece Of elastic popped
and she began to fall apart. Other
women gathered around her. like
football team around a player
who loses his britches. and the
driver waited outside until every
thing was pinned in place again.
Same Query Seven Times.
There was one memorable trip
where a passenger asked the
driver seven different times II he
was on the right bus to certain
area.
One day a driver was ap-
preached by a woman passenger
who didn't think the bus was
going fast enough. The driver
told her he was making as good
time as he could. So she asked
him if he'd mind stopping and
getting out and hailing a cab for
her, so she wouldn't have to get
out In the rain.
Cab drivers are even more vocal
in their beefs against the public
Tips, for instance. Tips are way
of, a lot of hackers claim. earlier
in this series, walters and wait
resses said the same thing. But
the point is moot
One man told how he picked
up a couple at a hospital and
took them home, q short haul
so cents for both.
The man asked the driver II
he'd carry the mans wife up
stairs. The driver did. 1.-TWO
flights" he said. Two flights ]
carried her in my arms. And then
that Cdeleted) gives me the fiat
so cents for the trip"
Enjoyable Trips, However. &,
Cabbies do have more enjoy
able trips, though. #
One told how he was hailed b.
o pretty thing one morning. The