[kermitology]

I think I've got a good one here.

In November of 2005 I was waiting for the #2 in Mt. Pleasant, just North of 16th Ave. Along comes a man who is clearly homeless. I'm listening to some music and I've got my studio headphones on so I can't hear him ask me something.

"What time is it?"
"Pardon me?"
"WHAT TIME IS IT?!"

Not noticing that he does not have a watch I tell him that it's "Ten to." He doesn't like that..
"TEN TO WHAT?"
"Oh sorry, it's ten to five."

Now this is during the bitter cold snap we had in November and I'm freezing waiting for the bus that is now late. He asks me when the bus comes, so I tell him that it was supposed to be here 5 minutes ago. He demands to know where it is.

"I don't know, it's late."

He's satisfied with that, so he then starts to pass the time by telling me about how great the 2 is compared to the 19 and the 119, and how he's going to try to get the bus driver to let him on for free since he's just going downtown and doesn't have bus fare. I don't know where he's going, but it's cold, so I offer him a bus ticket. Bad idea.

The bus pulls up and he tells me he'll use it if she doesn't let him on without it. I'm like, "yeah, whatever" and get on the bus to find an empty seat and chill out for my trip downtown to my next bus. But alas, he comes to sit next to me.

As the bus pulls away and heads downtown he tells me about how he used to live in the duplex across the street, but he got kicked out when the renovated the duplex so now he lives in a guy's backyard shed with an electric heater for $300 a month. How he went to school at Cresent Heights, but dropped out at 15 to get a job, and how his son (who's 15 and he hasn't seen in 2 years) was the 9th generation of males born in Canada in his family.

Then it gets weird.

He whips around and screams at the woman behind us "DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO OTHER PEOPLES CONVERSTATIONS!!!"
And turns back to me to ask me where it is I'm going. I'm a little bit disturbed at this point, so I tell him I'm just going to another bus and home. He tells me that he's going to the McDonalds on 17th Ave and he's meeting his sponsor. I'm thinking... good, he's going to meet someone who's helping him out, he'll have some food, awesome. Nope... Exact quote...

"I'm don't do drugs. You go to the doctor and he gives you a prescription, you take that to the pharmacy and you get some drugs. I don't take drugs. I'm a substance abuser! I'm going to meet my sponsor, give him $300 and he'll give me some of my substance and I'll have a good time for 3 hours!"

He then whips around again and screams at the now terrified woman behind me "ARE YOU LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE'S CONVERSTATIONS??"

I notice that we're now downtown and I'm nearing my stop so I get up to go. As I'm leaving the bus he changes seats and yells at me until the door closes..

"NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER GIVE UP!! NEVER GIVE UP!!!"

I saw him again in January and he was pulling a kids plastic wagon full of broken dolls and random crap. He was in the McDonalds getting a coffee and checking out the rashes and skin problems on his leg. Haven't seen him since though.