Colors

  The Comet buses got a color scheme that was meant to catch the eye of those waiting for a ride.  They had hired a graphic artist to come up with an idea.  It was multi-colored triangles in pastel colors.  I made the comment at the time that this would give me acid flashbacks.  Just for the record, I did do LSD once or twice in college.  I had flashbacks off and on for several years after.  It would be every month; then every six months; then every nine months. I would always have them at home, so I was never driving.    Thankfully, I haven't had one in about ten years, so I hope I have grown out of them.  

 Anyway, we signed off on the color scheme.  They incorporated it on the buses and stops.  Anybody who was looking for a bus stop could easily see it.  (Wow man!  Colors!) That was what a flashback was like.  So, the Comet wanted to do a video for Richland County on the Comet and its service.  It wasn't really a commercial, but it was a public service announcement (PSA) that would play on the county's Spectrum channel.  They asked me if I wanted to participate, and I said yes.

 We filmed my part in the back of the Comet's headquarters near the bus parking lot.  I was asked questions off camera about the bus service and the new colors.  We had to do several takes because of traffic noise and things that I wanted to say.  One question that they asked was how I liked the new colors?  I said that it makes the bus easier to see, and then I get excited when I see the bus coming.  My line was:  "Oh, wow!  Here comes the bus!"  It was stupid, but I got the point across.

 They ran the PSA on cable for about a year.  I guess it is still out there somewhere.  Wow man!  Colors!

Racism

  I had heard that there would be a man at a City of Columbia council meeting that wanted to speak on racism with The Comet.  He was going to talk about the injustice with the bus routes not going to more black neighborhoods.  It was serving too many white neighborhoods.  He had written an op-ed in a newspaper earlier about the fact that more blacks had voted for the transportation penny tax than whites, so he felt that black neighborhoods were entitled for better service.  I had to be there, because I had helped design many of those routes, and I felt that the bus service should be for all of the people in the community, and not just for one segment or another.

 This was the same man who had called me a "silver spoon white boy" for being the President of the Midlands Transit Riders Association.  He said that a black person should be president, because the majority of bus riders were black.  I had also been called a racist in the early days of planning the routes.  There were two routes that went into areas that were heavy on criminal behavior.  Some wanted to bring the bus into those areas after dark.  I pointed out at the time that it would be dangerous for the bus drivers to be in those areas after dark.  I was called a racist for that thinking.  I was being a realist.  So, the buses ran into those areas after dark, and one was shot at the first week.  Fortunately, the driver wasn't hurt, but there was a bullet hole in a window of the bus.  The Comet pulled back on those schedules to avoid that happening again.  I knew Columbia.  I had lived there most of my life.  I knew the neighborhoods.  

 So, it came time for the council meeting.  I signed up to speak.  Most of the people there at the meeting wanted to speak in protest of a plan to relocate the sports field at Dreher High School which would cause loud noise and disturb the homes around the school.  Once that issue was addressed, most of the audience left.  It came time to take up this man's complaint.  I looked around, and there were also two representatives of The Comet there.  The man was called on to speak, and he sent his wife up to the podium to speak in his behalf.  I thought that was kind of cowardly of him.  She read what he had written.  She talked about entitlement.  That is a word that I cringe, when I hear.  I was frantically writing down what I wanted to say.  When she was finished with his speech, the chair asked if there was anyone else who wanted to speak on this topic.  I raised my hand and was recognized.  I identified myself as the former president of the Midlands Transit Riders Association and a bus rider.  I could barely read my scribbling on the paper, but I talked about the fact that the bus system is for all the people, not just some.  I then talked about my family teaching me to treat everyone the same, no matter what skin color they were.  I talked about my family's history from a grandmother who taught black kids in school in Alabama to a cousin who was a freedom rider with Dr. King.  Then, I got a little loud in my speech.  I addressed racism in Columbia.  I told the council that I wasn't racist; the Comet wasn't racist, to which I pointed to the two people from the Comet sitting there; and then I pointed to the man and his wife and called them out as racists.  They just shrunk in their seats.  

 After the meeting was over, the City Manager thanked me for what I had said, as did several of the council members.  I was leaving to get on the elevator to go downstairs, and one of my personal heroes was on the elevator with me.  His name is Jim Felder.  He was a military pallbearer at President Kennedy's funeral and a civil rights leader.  He had been at the council meeting.  Jim told me that there are people out there who don't understand the meaning of racism, and he agreed with my assessment.  His comment meant the world to me.  When I got outside, the Mayor called to me.  He told me that he wished that people like that couple would stop coming to the council meetings.  All they want to be is divisive.  I told him that we need to have more unity in the city to get stuff done.  He agreed.  

 As I saw many times working with the buses, there are some people who just want to stir up trouble.  You know the sky is blue, but they will tell you it is green.  That is just the way it is.  If one can find some common ground with those people, things will work out better.  If there is no common ground to be found, walk away.  

Eclipse

  There was to be a total eclipse of the sun pass over Columbia.  To see it, you had to get protective glasses, and they had them all over town.  I got mine at Mast General Store.  I thought about where would be the best place to experience it.  Back when I was a kid, there was a solar eclipse.  We all got shoeboxes with a pin hole in it to see the shadow of the eclipse.  I briefly looked at it with my naked eye.  That wasn't too smart.  Now, I wanted to get the best place, and I decided on Riverbanks Zoo.  After all, I had heard that animals kind of freak out at an eclipse.

 I first stopped by Wendy's to get an early lunch.  It was kind of warm that day, so I had on a long sleeve shirt.  All polyester (first mistake).  I then walked down to the zoo, which was a couple of miles (second mistake).  I got to the zoo early and walked around to see the animals.  I started sweating profusely.  I looked for a vendor selling water, but there wasn't any.  Because many people had the same idea as me, the restaurant at the zoo was too crowded to get water.  I did find a water fountain and drank a bunch there.  

 While I was walking around, I found a crew from WIS TV that were doing live cut-ins to their news coverage of the eclipse.  I knew the people there, so I just hung out with them and trying to get some shade.  They had water in an ice chest for the crew, but I didn't feel I needed any.  There were other people around the TV people.  About 30 minutes before the eclipse, I felt very dizzy and took a slow fall to the ground.  I remember mumbling something and down I went.  A man caught me as I was falling.  It turned out that he was a missionary that was at the zoo visiting friends. There was a zoo security man with the TV crew, and he called for help for me.

 A couple of first aid people came and wheeled me to the infirmary at the zoo.  It wasn't far from where I had been.  They gave me Gatorade and some cold compresses to put on my neck.  I really wanted to go back outside to see the eclipse.  After a few minutes, somebody came in to ask how I was doing.  I actually was feeling better, so they let me go outside.  I saw the eclipse and heard the monkeys squealing in the background.  I thanked the missionary for helping me, as well as the TV folks.  I wished someone had asked me if I needed a ride home, but no one did.  So, I left the zoo feeling a little weak and dizzy.  I got up to a bus stop and sat on the bench to wait for the bus.  Dehydration is not fun.  I seem to be prone to that.  Ever since that incident at the zoo, I try and carry water or Gatorade wherever I go.  I have had a couple of incidents since then, and neither time did I have water with me.  It turns out that some prescription medication I take for depression has a dehydration side effect.  I have to have that medication. One good thing that came out of that experience was that the TV people used what happened to me as an example on their report of the need to hydrate.  Thankfully, they didn't use my name.  They just identified me as someone at the zoo.  Water anyone?

Obama

  To round out my stories of seeing Presidents (except Kennedy), we come to President Obama.  It was toward the end of his second term, and he was going to speak at Benedict College in Columbia.  Since I had the 411 on knowing about tickets for the event, I tried to get one.  The auditorium was relatively small, and the waiting list was very big.  I didn't get one.

 I was resigned to wait across the street from the event to catch a glimpse of him.  The police had closed off Harden Street next to the school.  There was a lot of people lined up across the street.  Having been to these things before, I saw where the motorcade would probably leave the event under a tent, so I stood on a corner with a few others as close to the exit as possible.

 We stood for a long time and chatting with the officers.  One advantage for being in the know is that you can hear what is going on over the police radio, especially if an officer is close to you.  I felt sorry for all those folks further up the road who thought that Obama's car would come out of the main exit to the school.  That exit was just too narrow to handle "The Beast".  

 After a while of standing in the sun, we heard that the President was leaving the event.  We got ready to wave.  The police helicopter was flying overhead.  That meant that it was about five minutes before he was going to leave.  They fly above buildings along the route to ensure there are no snipers or other bad actors around.  Then, the police motorcycles started revving their engines.  They pulled out and turned onto Harden Street in front of us.  Then came the police cars, followed by a Secret Service car.  Then, one limousine.  Obama was in the second limousine (The Beast).  We waved.  I saw the profile of his face through the thick glass of the window and then the back of his head.  If I had blinked, I would have missed it.  They drove fast down Harden Street followed by more Secret Service cars and press busses. 

 Some people on our corner said they didn't see him.  I did, however briefly, just like my encounter with George W. Bush in Greenville a few years before.  I understand that Presidents need to be protected, especially what happened in Dallas in 1963.  I just wish we lived in a world where they could "press the flesh" more without the worry of being shot.  That's a pipe dream.

Hillary

  It was February 2016.  Hillary Clinton had won the South Carolina Democratic Primary over Bernie Sanders.  No surprise there.  She was holding a victory rally in front of the Columbia Art Museum in the freezing cold, and I had to be there.  As I have said earlier, I have seen every President of the United States in my lifetime, except for Kennedy.  I had to hedge a bet.

 As I was now hip to how these rallies worked, I had to get a ticket before attending.  The tickets were free, but they had to know how many people would be there for safety reasons.  I went through the security check and went into the area about 45 minutes early.  I scouted the site and saw a tent with some metal railings.  I figured this would be where she would enter into the place.  I staked out a spot next to a metal railing and stood my ground.  There was a lot of pushing and shoving, but this was my spot.

 A small group of supporters came into the area through that path from the tent to the stage.  The only person I recognized was Star Jones.  She spoke for a couple of minutes.  Then, there was an actress who spoke, but I didn't get her name.  We were all cheering to try and get warm.  It was a losing battle.  Then, Hillary came from under the tent followed by her husband Bill.  They were all smiles.  Bill's Secret Service detail wasn't smiling.  No surprise there.  Huma Abedin was there, too.  I didn't know who she was then, but I know now.  Anthony Weiner's ex now.  

 Bill Clinton made it to the stage.  This was the second time I had seen him in person.  The first time was years ago, when he was running for President.  He was vibrant back then.  He looked gaunter now.  He got the crowd going to almost a fever pitch to introduce Hillary.  She got to the stage and thanked everyone who had voted for her in the primary.  Her speech didn't last long, because it was really cold.  

 After she finished, she and Bill started shaking hands in the crowd.  I was wearing a NAMI hat.  As she got to me, I reached out my hand to her, and she gave me a firm handshake.  I yelled out "God bless you". She responded, "Thanks, I need that".  Our close encounter was captured by a newspaper photographer, and it appeared in the paper the next day.  A few people later, Bill came by.  I had thought what I would say to him.  I could have been rude and say something like, "Bill Belk says hello".  He and Belk used to be friends until he insulted Hillary, and his remark got back to Clinton.  So, I decided I had better be nice.  He shook my hand, not as firmly as Hillary did, and I said "God bless you".  He said, "What?"  I repeated, "God bless you".  He responded, "Oh, okay".  I don't know what he thought I said, but I hope he didn't think I had initially insulted him.  

 They were quickly whisked away from us, and I caught a warm bus home.  I got a Hillary for President sign, that I gave away to a neighbor.  I wish I still had it, because it could have been worth some money.  In the end, I was glad I went.  As history would take us, I have had a thumbs up from Reagan, and I have shaken hands with a former President (Clinton) and a future President (Biden).  I had one more President to go.

Huntsman

  There are times in the political world, where someone wins the nomination for President of the United States, and there is someone else more qualified.  I have studied politics pretty much my entire adult life, and I have seen many examples of this fact.  One of which was Jon Huntsman who ran for President in 2012. 

 He was a governor in Utah.  He had been the United States Ambassador to Russia and later China.  He had been our government's trade ambassador.  Unfortunately, that year also had Mitt Romney running for President, and he was also from Utah and more well known.  Credentials and experience are not as important in politics as name recognition.  

 I met Ambassador Huntsman at the South Carolina Republican Party Headquarters in 2012.  He had a really big family, and I saw them all pour off of a bus out front.  One of them was his daughter Abby, who later went on to co-host "The View" on ABC.  After he filed for the Republican Primary in SC, he went outside to greet those in the parking lot.  I spent a few moments with him talking about the homeless and the economy.  He seemed truly interested.  You can tell who listens, and who wants to just blow you off.  I have seen many politicians do both.  He listened.  

 After a while of just hanging out with us, he and his family boarded their bus and left for a campaign stop.  I really wished that the voters had listened to what he had to say in the campaign.  He just never gained any traction.  If a candidate is covered non-stop by the media, others are left begging for airtime.  You see this time and time again.  One could make the case that media exposure is more important than the issues.  In some cases, the media has had a role in who gets elected, whether they are qualified or not, by ignoring others in the race.  That was the problem with Jon Huntsman.  Not enough people took a look at him and his experience.  He would have made a very good President.

Transit

 The MTRA was getting recognized around the country for our successful work in getting better bus service for the Columbia area.  There was a national advocacy group, based in Washington, that got local groups together for training and community work.  The meeting was going to be in Atlanta, and we were invited to attend.  We could only take three people to the conference, so I was nominated to go, since I was the president of the MTRA.  Two women from our Board of Directors said they could go.  One of them, I got along with very well.  The other?  Not so much.

 The Progressive Network said they would pay for our rental car and hotel rooms.  I went with the head of the Progressive Network to rent a car at Enterprise.  We got an SUV.  I had never driven a car like that before.  It proved to be very easy.  On Sunday morning, I picked up the two women at their respective apartments, and we headed toward Atlanta.  We stopped at a Golden Corral outside Atlanta for lunch.  We had each been given cash for our trip to pay for food and the hotel rooms.  One of the ladies lost her envelope of cash.  We looked all around the car but found nothing.  The other lady and me would pay for her stuff for the rest of the trip.  When we got to the hotel in downtown Atlanta, it was pretty swanky.  We went up to the front desk to register.  We told the clerk that we had reservations.  He didn't see our names.  Maybe under the Progressive Network?  Yes.  Okay, we pulled out our cash and were told that we could only pay if we were the Progressive Network.  We told the clerk that we had been sent by the Progressive Network and had been given cash for the rooms.  The clerk wasn't budging.  I asked the clerk if I could call the head of the Network to smooth over the confusion?  He said I could, so I called the head of the Network to see if he could explain to the clerk what was going on.  After a few attempts, I finally got hold of him and told him of our predicament.  He spoke to the clerk and gave his credit card over the phone for our rooms.  I was ready to sleep in our car.  

 That night, our meetings started in the hotel's ballroom. After the meeting, we went to get supper at a nice place near the hotel.  I saw the neighborhood we were in, and found it was near the place I had been back in college, where I got stoned on marijuana.  A blast from the past.  I confessed to the two women that I used to have terrible road rage, but I was taking medication for it.  They were surprised and said they had not noticed any anger.  The drugs worked. On Monday, we continued meeting in small groups.  I really liked the work that the folks in Tampa and Pittsburgh were doing.  We promised to stay in touch.  We never did.  Nor did they.  As we were going to leave to come home, I went to the desk and asked them how to get on I-285 to get back to I-20?  Nobody knew.  Great!  Hotel workers who don't know how to get around town.  It turned out that I-75 was near the hotel, and their suggestion was to get on that, and eventually we would find 285.  

 As we got back in the car, the woman found her lost money.  It was under the seat.  That was a blessing.  She could pay for the gas going back.  They asked me if I knew where I was going?  I lied and said yes.  We were going to get back on 285.  I just didn't know where.  We came upon some road construction two miles ahead.  There was a sign that said to merge right.  The traffic was kind of heavy, but everyone began to merge right.  All except one fool in the left lane.  He wanted to get ahead of everyone and merge at the end of the lane.  Nobody would let him do it.  After all, it had been a pain for everyone else to merge during the two-mile warning.  He was mad.  We just laughed.  We finally got to 285.  It had been 20 minutes out of our way from how we could have gone, but I pretended it was the right way.  I don't think they knew the difference.

 We got back to Columbia late into the evening, and I took the car back the next day to Enterprise.  We had to settle up with the Network, but we ended up keeping most of the money.  It was a good trip, and we learned a lot what others were doing with their transit systems.  I would like to think we taught them something, too.  At least, the MTRA was on the national map.  Being recognized for your work outside your community is a good thing.  And, we got to go to Atlanta, however briefly.