National Service Express Tour ‘08

Yesterday, Matt and I took an epic ride from Los Angeles to Mesa, Arizona.  It wasn’t our longest trip to date, only scheduled to take seven and a half hours. From the very beginning, however, something special was in the air.  Maybe it was some of that LA magic (which we had experienced while walking down the street the day before.  As we were crossing the street downtown, a couple in a Beetle convertible invited us to a party the next day with the promise of (and I quote): “So many b*tches!”).  Maybe it was the hot desert sun (it’s expected to be over 100 in Phoenix this weekend).  Whatever the reason, as we boarded the bus with the last two tickets, we knew we were in for a treat. 

Here’s a run-down on the first (and much calmer) half on the bus:

• Matt is stared down by a women sitting in front of him.  The interaction began without incident, with the women (we’ll call her Deb) talking to a women sitting next to Matt.  Then, without prompting, Deb violently shakes her head and stares bug-eyed at Matt, only to turn around disgusted and cover her head with her jacket. (I received a wink and smile from Deb later in the trip).
• As we’re approaching a bus stop, Bonnie, Matt’s seat mate, faces him, rubs his back and says “What’s your name, sweetie?”
• During our food break, I saw what I believe was a man eating a raw piece of chicken while on the bus.