77

Just as I was heading out for another great bus journey around charm city, there was an article about the Baltimores – that of the Wire and of Ann Tyler. This time there were quite a articles about what Baltimore was or is. Another about the good folk of Locust Point fighting becoming swallowed up as condo land moves south of the harbour. Articles on the city either are concerned with crime – Wire v Ann Tyler – it seems that someone was killed in Federal Hill – Tyler-land as well as on the route that I walked between my grandparents home last time. The score was Wire-land 2 Tyler-land 1.

I was going to neither, I was headed outside the beltway as I wanted to take the 77 a bus that bypasses the city all together as it goes from the Patapsco station to the Old Court Road station. The route seemed typical of a suburban route more concerned with reaching as many people as possible than getting from point to point.

The type of ride that I like – well except for the i-podded person in front of me who danced I her seat and at times shout with the music – as the route seemed to be one long diversion.

This was definitely a part of the county that wasn’t gridded. I was lost and even when we were in an area that I recognised. Tried to use the Beltway as a point of reference but to no avail.

While the names were familiar – they were termini of old bus routes – Landsdowne the old 11, Halethorpe the former 3, I wasn’t all that familiar with the actual places, was surprised when the bus passed through Arbutus a walk of mine in the winter of 2006. We also passed the famous fox statue of Fox Chevrolet, where I finally thought that I had a hold on the where I was and where I was heading but no once again confounded.

This was not a bus to take when in a hurry. There was almost a riot outside Security Mall when the bus stopped and waited as it was five minutes early. The remnants of a kiddie birthday party boarded, parents dispersed over the bus talking to each other on their Nextel two-ways. Saw downtown Catonsville, played tag with Rolling Road.

A downpour in Liberty Road meant a double rainbow along Old Court Road not that the i-pod girl and the Nextellers noticed.