Do you remember that song from when you were little? Of course you do and now you're singing it.
As most of you know, I take the ferry into work every day. I usually take the 7:50 ferry in and the 5:50 ferry back out. I head for the back door, go straight to the bottom level, head for a seat in the front and on the aisle, pop in my headphones and relax for the 30 minute ride home. I'm a creature of habit. And so are the other people on the ferry.
When you take the same ferry everyday you start to recognize the other people that take the same ferry every day. I don't know any of their names, but I see them every day:
Lady with Floppy Hat is middle aged and always wears the same hippie floppy hat. The style of it makes me wonder if she's very eco-conscious or a left over Charles Manson follower. I can't ever figure out why she wears that hat everyday and why she wears it inside on the boat. Fashion statement? Skin condition that she has to avoid the sun? Lady with Floppy Hat sits in the middle of the boat and normally chats with another lady, who I guess I'll call Lady with Floppy Hat's friend. I believe that Lady with Floppy Hat's friend likes to do cross word puzzles.
Man with Ponytail I never see on the ferry, but he passes me everyday as I walk from the ferry terminal. I've figured out that he must be on the boat with me, but perhaps he is a top floor guy. Man with Ponytail is always in a serious hurry. I can't figure out if he just needs to set his alarm for an earlier time or take an earlier ferry, but apparently he is always late. He also walked all the way down Mission the other day with his computer hanging perilously out of his backpack. However, he was hauling and I didn't really want to run him down since it looked like ultimately his laptop would stay put.
There is also Boy with Reflective Sunglasses. He sits everyday at a table with his friends and wears these Wayfarer type large sunglasses that have a yellow reflective coating. He seems to always be resting his head on his propped up arm. Was he up late? Is he hung over? Is that why he wears the sunglasses everyday even on board?
Not a persistent regular is Guy with the Bike. Guy with the Bike sometimes shows up dressed like he is planning to bike a marathon and sometimes shows up in a suit. So on the days that he is wearing full bike attire, does he change at work? Does he drive on suit day? How does he decide, or does he just drive when he oversleeps? Maybe he and Man with Ponytail should set up a phone tree to be sure they get up on time?
On a side note, one other curious thing about the people on the ferry. When you board, you have the option of going through the front door or the back door. I have noticed that people are serious about which door they take and will cut across five people to be sure they get in the line for THEIR door. Ultimately I can't believe it makes that big of a difference (in fact I've tried both and it really doesn't). But some people are very very particular about their seats and I can see that if you HAD to have YOUR seat, then you better pick a direct route and run for it. And more to the point, if you want to see a bunch of grown men in full suits acting like children, watch them board the ferry and scurry to a seat just like when you used to ride the bus.
So, I just have to laugh at the way that although I know no one here, and no one really knows me, I know a few familiar faces on the ferry. It sort of adds to the rhythm of the day. So, Lady in Floppy Hat, Man with Ponytail, Boy with Reflective Glasses, and Guy with Bike, thanks for making me feel not so alone. And I'll see you in the morning.
Yours truly,
Girl in Red Coat
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