Public Transportation: Part One

It slows. Stops. Rocks.
And then it rolls forward again. Slowly. Then faster. Faster...stop. Released pressure hisses and doors are cranked open. People file in and flop into the first empty seat.
Forward again. Faster. Faster. Stop. Right turn. Heads peeking from above seats all sway in unison to the left.
Fast. Stop. Hiss. Fast. Stop. Hiss.
Finally it hits the freeway. No more hissing stops for ninety minutes. More or less.
No stopping except for the bumper to bumper traffic of late-afternoon rush hour. Everyone wants to go home at 5:30. Why do they call it rush hour?
The endless speeding up and slowing down and constant sway is a recipe for nearly unbearable motion sickness. (Don't forget the Dramamine.)
But.
The cool A/C blows kindly on faces and legs. The sun slowly sets behind the tall peaks, and delicate slivers of light shimmer through the spaces in the clouds. Hot light is filtered through tinted windows. Music through headphones is energizing and relaxing at the same time, strengthening tired people after eight hours of being bent in a chair staring at a screen. A good book passes the time rather quickly. Unexpected over-passes create welcome, fleeting moments of shadow. Eyes tire and adjust to the sunlight again within seconds.
I can feel the rumble of the engine through the thick floor. The man sitting across the aisle is immersed in his novel. So is the lady in front of me. Although I think she's dozed off for the moment.
I don't have to focus on my own driving. Or keep track of which exit I'm nearing. Or dodge construction on the shoulder. I just get to lean back in my cushioned seat and simply...observe. And think. And catch my breath.
I don't need to bother with anything except pressing the "next" button on my iPod when I want to skip a song.
Maybe I'll drift out of consciousness for a few minutes. I notice the traffic has thinned. The rhythmic swaying isn't sickening anymore. It's like rocking in a swing. Or a hammock. I've always wanted a hammock.
The sun falls deeper in the sky, creating deep red and purple blossoms against a blue backdrop.. I lean closer to the window and let the light warm my face.
This is quickly becoming the best part of my day. And when my genius of an iPod decides to sing me The Beatles? Well. Better and better.