Number 38

If you want to feel less like a tourist and more like someone who lives in the city, take the bus. Tourists don't take buses.  Buses can take you places where metros don't go. If you take the wrong bus, you could end up in places tourists shouldn't go.  But I actually prefer buses.  They are crowded during rush hour, but not nearly as crowded as the metro or tram.  The trams during rush hours are like living jigsaw puzzles. Bodies, bags, and purses placed in such a way to maximize the number of people on the tram and minimize empty space.  Buses are crowded, but not so crowded that I do get a sliver of space between me and the next guy.

Another advantage of buses over metros is that you are above ground.  Metros are dark, cold, and damp.  You have to navigate cavernous and at times desolate tunnels that twist and turn to get from one line to another.  Buses show you the city.  They show you people going about their quotidian lives- going to work; visiting friends; shopping.  If you are lucky enough you get to see some sites along the way.

The number 38 bus takes me from my neighborhood straight to the center of town. It's a pleasant twenty minute commute through the 14th, 6th and right into the 1st.  Now, I did take it during the time of day when the sun was just about to set (during this time of year that's about 9:30pm).  Lights start to add a soft glow to the city, but there is still enough ambient light that you can see some details on buildings.  It's romantic.  The bus ride showed a beautiful, elegant Paris. The Paris people think about when they say the dream of living in Paris.  A bonus to the 38 is that if you sit on the correct side of the bus, you get a glimpse of Notre Dame.

But like I said earlier, taking the bus  means you get see the daily lives of Parisians - the good, the bad, or the bizarre.  This evening, on my bus ride to my French  language meetup group I saw/experienced some strange things during the twenty minute bus ride.

* A man riding a bike with a small dog in the backpack he was wearing.  The dog was zipped up in the bag with his tiny head sticking out.  I could not tell if the dog was happy or scared.

* The bus driver honking at and nearly missing said man and dog, and then continuing to aggressively honk at the taxi in front of him.

* Shortly there after, the bus driver stops the bus full of people (including me), gets off the bus, and starts yelling at the taxi driver who is now out of his cab as well.  That is when I get off the bus and walk... Ce n'est pas normale, but it won't stop me from taking the bus.

On the 38 bus heading home to the 14th