Passenger angst

I missed Ava today. My gorgeous little car is sitting back home, far from its driver. I missed being a driver today too. Stepping into a vehicle and sitting behind the steering wheel. Determining the speed of your ride. Choosing the route. Having the ability to pass a no-smoking rule inside your four doors. Being able to choose who catches a ride with you...

My Avaless trip to a meeting and a cup of tea at smiley cousin's house before returning home meant having to catch seven different vehicles.

1. service: after he had a fat conversation with a fellow passenger about how important it is for locals to look after and help foreigners, the driver insisted I pay him the equivalent of two service rides because of the length of the ride. I replied that he should have told me this when I got in. He said I should have known (this after acknowledging my foreigness!) and ended up charging me LL1 000 extra!

2. bus: driver stopped halfway along the side of the road to drink a cup of ahwe and smoke a cigarette.

3. bus: I thought I was getting on the right bus, but then saw him take a different turn, and tried to jump off, but nearly tumbled over three men because the driver suddenly stopped because he saw my reaction to leave, but I ended up being on the right bus and had to regain my composure.

4. service: refused to take me up until he had at least one more person in the car in order to make the ride worth his while. And then kept telling me to sit inside, making me think he was ready to leave when in fact he was still intending to wait. So I kept on jumping in and out of the car until he eventually decided to leave without the additional person. The car was even more of an interior-deocrating disaster than the man himself. Check it out:

5. minibus: stopped away from the highway and made me walk to the next stop.

6. bus: nothing much to report besides the one guy who told me that I was not from Lebanon. Duh!

7. bus: caught the number two bus that happens to pass right near my house. Passengers included two ladies arguing next to me about whether to get up before or after the bus comes to a standstill.

Home in one piece. But there's still one special piece missing. Ava, I'm sending you some Tracy Schumacher loving.