They boarded the 7 at the bus stop near Rainier and Jackson. They had no money. The driver, who was black, told them to get off. They got off and, Rainier and Jackson, cursed the merciless driver. One was a man; the other a woman. The woman wore a traditional necklace made of shells or beads. That necklace had a powerful effect on me. The whole situation was heavy because history is real to me. This land was made for you and who?

Charles Mudede—who writes about film, books, music, and his life in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, the USA, and the UK for The Stranger—was born near a steel plant in Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe. He has no memory...

39 replies on “The 7: Two Native Americans Denied Entry on Bus Due to Lack of Money”

  2. Hey, it sucks to be native american sometimes … but at least we give you something to write about that you can inject pseudospiritual pondering into.

    Protip: If I’m talking to a tree, someone’s probably in it.

  6. A friend of mine who is a Metro driver tells me that the official policy is that operators are not permitted to enforce the fare; they’re only allowed to tell a passenger what the fare is. But apparently most operators don’t follow that rule.

  9. @7 I’ve seen that happen before. A passenger on my bus a while back made a big deal about not having enough to pay, and the driver said that he could ride but that he ran the risk of getting a fine.

    Not sure how much of a difference it makes to have free passengers. The bus costs the same amount to run whether they pay or not, and free loaders are in the minority.

  14. @7 I have also seen that happen. The driver told the guy that if he thought he deserved to ride the bus for free when everybody else paid, he (the driver) could do nothing to stop him. The broke guy was confused, rode the bus until the next stop, then got off.

  17. The whole driver not enforcing the fare thing isn’t exactly correct. The driver is supposed to collect the fare, but his main responsibility is to drive the bus and not risk getting in fights with deadbeats/drunks/crackheads which would put the driver and the rest of the paying passengers in danger. If someone refuses to pay the driver will let them, but if they pass one of the KCS deputies then they can have the deadbeat fined/removed/warrant checked/arrested/shot.

  19. @19, I know that’s the policy and it makes some sense, but what about the drunkards who rode the bus over the weekend, got in a fight with a family, continued to fight after exiting the bus, and stabbed the father twice?

    I’d rather the drunkards just be kept off the bus.

    And Charles, this reads like a fucking sixth grader’s social studies report: “The whole situation was heavy because history is real to me.” What, you have a book of Trolling/Race-Baiting Mad Libs you take from now?

  20. Public transit within the city should be a right of a free society. Yes, a RIGHT. People live and work and buy groceries in the city. Getting from work to home to food is simply necessary, and having a car is often not an option. It’s great if riders have the means to subsidize this service by paying a fare, but it is TAX DOLLARS that keep transit alive, and it is TAX DOLLARS that should allow people like this couple to ride the bus.

  23. They got off and, Rainier and Jackson, cursed the merciless driver.

    So I’m confused, is Rainer and Jackson the couple’s name? If so that is really ironic that they attempted to get on Rainer and Jackson.

    Post’s like this is what you get when when you let trolls get the keys to a web site. Edit your posts before you go attention whoring.

  27. Okay. So far we have Native Americans and women with children who should get to ride transit for free. Who else does Mudede want to add to the list?

    @26,

    Uh, what? The $20 Metro fee already passed. Please try to keep up.

  31. Why are you turning this into a race isue Charles? What’s really unfair is the a-hole bus driver who won’t let you ride because you are short a quarter…

  33. @33,

    If that fee doesn’t pass, transit will not be affected in the way you describe. People with money will be able to ride just fine. So, to be clear, you aren’t ignorant, just a liar.

  35. So Charles, how did you know the necklace was “traditional”? Did you recognize what Tribe they were part of? Know the traditions and styling of their Tribe? Or is it more of your deep bullshit- they are native so must be “spiritual” and only wear traditional items. Sucks for you if it turns out to be from urban outfitters!

  36. Sure Charles, why do people have to pay to use the bus? Why can’t everyone just ride for free?

    Here’s why. Because if people don’t pay then the bus stops running. The bus driver needs to get paid. Bus maintenance needs to get paid for. Gas needs to get paid for. Insurance needs to get paid for. This shit isn’t free! It’s very expensive. If people don’t pay then the busses stop running.

    Dumb fucker.

  37. @37 Being you must be horrible; judgemental, thin-skinned, chip-shouldered, ill-tempered, humorless, unforgiving and very unlikeable. You take care, okay?

  39. Another passenger could have offered to pay their fare. I’ve coughed up quite a few fares for folks who didn’t have it (or didn’t have the correct change). Problem solved.

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