2W4W - Superheroes in the making?

What a gorgeous day for biking and busing?!

This morning after cleaning bird poop off of my bike seat (angry birds?), I biked to work. It was warm and beautiful for a day in March, which is rather alarming. POW!

Later in the day, Julie and I met up for lunch, where we enjoyed the weather and discussed how confused - STILL - we are about what's happening and quite frankly, NOT happening with public transportation in southeast Michigan. Maybe there's hope with TRANS4M? (We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on it - please share below.)

Then after lunch it was back to work, so I jumped on my bike to the scene of a water pollution crime located on Brush, between Warren and Canfield, in Detroit. (Earlier I received a tip that there was some "hazardous activity" present.) This is the first time I rode my bike to something like this. I should note that even though I rode my bike to this area, I have no experience dealing with hazardous waste sites or cleanups. Rather, I traveled to the site to learn more information and to make sure the proper officials had been contacted. So with bike helmet still on and sitting on my bike, I ran into FOX News and discussed water pollution and how it negatively impacts the quality of our rivers and Great Lakes. You can see the clip here.

NOTE: This crime isn't to be taken lightly, especially since it happens more often then we think. If you see illegal dumping into the sewers, please contact 911, so that they can notify the proper officials to immediately respond to the situation.

Also, quick poll - my coworker suggested I wear a cape while on my bike to these type of situations. What do you think? Do you see Two Women Four Wheels as superheroes? Capes or no capes?

Musings from an early bus trip Tuesday morning

I was up early today, so decided to get a jump on the workday with the 7:10am 460 out of Royal Oak. Lots of random bus/bike thoughts going through my head today, so its time to just get serious!

1. My bike helmet seems to have expanded over the winter, probably due to winter hat usage, and was totally teetering on my head this morning, in the most "why am I even wearing this?" anti-safety kinda way. The winter hat, which in my opinion, on March 20th in Michigan, I should still be wearing. Which brings me to #2...

2. Although this super warm weather is honestly creeping me out, I am not above saying that I do enjoy wearing capri leggings, a skirt and flats today. Biking this morning SO got me thinking about summer bus/bike happy hours, which is maybe the absolute definition of summer joy. Yeah, I said it!

3. Bus seating - am I the only one that is totally OCD in keeping my stuff on my seat/lap, leaving the seat next to me open for other bus riders? People on the bus this morning were all sprawled out, backpacks, papers, water bottles - other bus riders had to stand. This isn't your personal $2 per ride loveseat, people. The absolute definition of bus rudeness. Yeah, I said it!

And all this before 8am. :) Happy Tuesday, 2W4W fans!

A very belated post re: bus drama - it happens.

It's been a busy few weeks for 2 Women and their 4 Wheels, and not much to even do with the 4 Wheels. Which does, frankly, make us feel a little sad (we still love you, our bikes!). Between traveling for work - and enjoying the public transit options in DC and NYC - and being crazy sick (who gets bronchitis, a sinus infection AND a mild case of frostbite all in one weekend? I digress...), bus/biking has taken a total backseat these past few weeks. I did manage to fit in a bus/bike ride on Michigan's primary election day, and promised a blog post! So, with your author totally pumped full of antibiotics, finally - here it IS.

The SMART 460 has been pretty much running on time out of downtown right after work, so I make sure I'm at the stop a good 5 minutes early - just how I roll. I'm pleasantly surprised to see my friend LaVar at the stop - he's a busser as well AND we ride the same route! How have we never crossed paths?! One of the great bus mysteries. So we're catching up as the SMART cruises up Woodward and this woman almost gets run over trying to catch this bus in the Boston Edison area. You can tell she's harried, but LaVar and I are talking St. Patrick's/Tigers Opening respective Day plans, so we are focused.

In the middle of Highland Park, right across the street from the Glory Supermarket, the bus starts slowing down for the stop and this woman starts going INSANE. "Don't let that *bleepity bleep* guy on this bus!!!", hitting the window and jumping up & down. The entire bus is frozen in time - this is some real live Jerry-Springer type stuff here. The guy is just watching her flip out for a minute while she screams 'I am NOT coming home with you!' (in much more colorful language than I am detailing here, as you can imagine) and he leaves the bus. She goes one more stop and then calmly gets off the bus.

Now, who knows what was happening. The first thing that runs through my mind is that I hope that this isn't some sort of domestic abuse or other terrible situation - and sincerely hope that both parties in this bus drama are ok. But then my mind starts down the 'dramatic bus reenactment' path. Mini-flash mobs acting out dramatic/funny/totally over the top stories/situations. Shakespeare readings. A tribute to the Muppets. The snapping pre-rumble dance from West Side Story. The Dirty Dancing jump-catch scene. The possibilities are ENDLESS. Wouldn't that just make your commute!? And I think it would keep the real drama-full bus riders in check because it would just confuse 'em. What do you think - a win/win!?