Metro Bill

Big week this week as basketball got into full swing, the spring semester of HBU started (I love those Huskys!) and it seems everything is now back in high gear.

I guess in all the morning rush yesterday, Bill inadvertently left his money clip on the bathroom counter. He realized it as he got on to the bus. For you out of towners….Houston has a great bus line and many, many business people ride it everyday to downtown.

Bill has made lots of friends on the bus over the years. Several times I’ve had people introduce themselves to me and tell me they know my husband “from the bus.” One man even stopped me in a restaurant and said “I know your husband is a good guy because I see him reading his Bible on the bus in the mornings.” He’s had a bus friend die, several have moved, he’s given Christmas gifts to favorite drivers….and for 13 years Bill has nicknamed himself “Metro Bill” after the Houston Metro Bus Line.

A few times in the past he has forgotten his money and it hasn’t been a problem. If he knew the driver they’d just say…“no big deal” or “you can pay double tomorrow.” And believe me, if Bill said he was going to pay tomorrow, he was going to pay tomorrow, probably with interest.

But yesterday all that generosity of previous bus drivers came to a halt. It was a woman bus driver that Bill didn’t recognize when he boarded. He explained that he had forgotten his money clip and asked if it would it be all right if he paid tomorrow.

As he tells it, in a very loud, rather obnoxious voice she declared …“THAT’S NOT THE WAY WE DO THINGS AROUND HERE.” And if you know Bill very well, you know that having the entire bus staring at him looking at an angry bus driver is just not how he would like to start his morning.

He said…“o.k….let me look in my backpack (sounds like a kid doesn’t it…buses, backpacks….all he needs is a Superman lunchbox and he’d be set!). Before he had even sat down though, people (ladies he informed me) were literally throwing money at him. Didn’t take long before he had the fare covered coming and going and probably some left over for lunch.

Anyway….I’m awfully glad for the kindness of all those bus friends that insured Bill got downtown yesterday. And if you see Bill along the way with a “Buddy can you spare a dime” sign…he probably left his money clip at home again.