songs about public transportation

i love public transportation.

i remember the very first time i took an ac transit bus through oakland. i was 18. there was a fist-fight in the aisle, someone got knocked out, and a gentleman's face ended up on the bus floor, right by my shoe. yes, sometimes there is drama. and true, sometimes you hear way more than you wanted to about a stranger's love life or familial dilemmas.

but then again, you also see older brothers & sisters escorting little ones with backpacks on their way to school. you see the viejito best friends, the night shift workers, the sleepy parents. and also the flirtations, the near-arguments, the accidental reunions, the sweet & quick glances. a pregnant woman gets on and someone yells at a businessman to give her his seat. and then everyone stares at him and waits, until he looks ashamed and complies. because there is nothing like an angry bus crowd.

in mexico city & in caracas, the metro costs 20 cents a ride and takes you everywhere. it's open all night (as are the cities themselves). and like third world pasajeros everywhere, its riders are expert at making people fit. there's no more room in here? yes, there is. get in! it's like tetris.

**

so many references to public transportation in popular culture. here are a few of the musical variety...



down in the tube station at midnight : the jam



microbusera : amandititita



the metro : berlin



tren al sur : los prisioneros


**

siete y media de la mañana
mi asiento toca la ventana
estación central, segundo carro
del ferrocarril que me llevará al sur.

y ya estos fierros van andando
y mi corazón está saltando
porque me llevan a las tierras
donde al fin podré ver nuevo

respirar adentro y hondo,
alegrías del corazón, ajaja!


: tren al sur