5/28/10 PM

Had the smart idea of leaving work in the early afternoon on the Friday before Memorial Day. So did everyone else. Caught the 250 so that I could avoid the 10 or 25 local busses to go to my parking ramp across the river. Got to the bus stop and was about the 26th person in line waiting for the bus. As the bus arrives, a short one - not an articulated, we notice that there are only about 6 empty seats. Time to stand. Too bad there are 3-4 more stops before getting out of downtown. All of us are packed in, standing, like sardines. And I'm thinking - crap, I have to get off just North of downtown. The rest of these people are going to the 'burbs. I approach my stop and ring the bell. I'm close enough to the back door that when we stop, I yell up to the driver, "I'll come up to the front to pay once I'm outside." I pull my badge using the retractable cord and pay my fare. About a 1/2 block away, the bus approaches me from behind and beeps at me. Someone tells me out the window. Apparently, I dropped my badge when I paid, and a gentleman picked it up. Sure enough, I look behind me, and there's a guy walking towards me, with my badge that had broken off my retractable cord. I thank him profusely. How embarassing.