8/10/07: Performance walk documentation

Start time: 5:36 PM, 77 Mass Ave
End time: 7:36, 77 Mass Ave
Action: Filled suitcases with heavier dirt. Carried extra backpack and red umbrella (open continuously when not on bus.) Got on #1 bus when arrived at stop, got off when a different rider requested a stop. Accepted help when offered and gave away seed pots when this happened. Was followed and observed by documenter.)

Documenter's Narrative:
Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Age: 34
Lives in: Dudley Square

Documenter text:

5:35 PM: #1 bus arrives.
African American man in his 40’s helps A onto the bus.
Blue Jeans/Black Polo Shirt. Smiles exchanged.
Seed exchanging.
Conversation engaged over the Mass Ave Bridge.

5:39 PM: Stop Requested.
He indicates with palms to his body outward, she with palms up.

5:42 PM: Stop requested.

5:43 PM: Handshake and Introduction.

5:43 PM: Stop requested. Asian man in his 50’s gets off.

5:43 PM: Stop requested:
African American man in his 50’s gets off. White man in his 60’s offers to help A while she gets off. No further exchange.

5:45 PM: I exit on Huntington Avenue.
I can see the red umbrella and when the traffic stops I can see the suit cases

5:49 PM: I swallowed my gum. Dang!
There is a huge can of beer and a keg shape in a paper bag next to it.
An empty battery shrink wrap box. That hard plastic…
An AAA battery box and a lottery ticket.

5:52 PM: CT1 Bus goes the other way.
Where did A go? Oh! There she is.

5:55 PM: A sitting on the large suitcase under umbrella.
It’s starting to spit rain.
Comfortable temperature – probably in the 70’s.
Wish I had worn my watch.

5:57: CT 1

5:57: Man looks like a cartoon crossing the street, leaning way forward and back at the same time.

5:58 PM: Woman on motorized scooter/wheelchair pulls into Bus shelter. Starts smoking. I see her all the time in Dudley driving down the middle of the road.


6:00 PM: She tears off down Huntington. Here comes the bus.

6:02 PM: A gets looks from people. Just looks.

6:03 PM: Mass Ave Orange line. She gets off the bus but looses her shoulder strap. No panic, just hustle.

6:04 PM: Helicopter overhead, really overhead. Hovering over. I hope it is traffic.

6:05 PM: Still making huge racket. I overhear a kid say to her “is this trash?”
She says “It’s salt and sand.”
Teenage ladies in a car say “Why would I steal from him?”
“OK, Um…”
White top woman in her 30’s on the phone.
Silver vesper passes. Helicopter is gone.

6:08 PM: No rain. Not even a little. There is a couple speaking Spanish, a sqeally bike.
A siren.
“You seeing anybody?”
“Girl’s crazy. Put a gun to his head.”

6:11 PM: Ambulence goes by.
A lady is done with her Cheese Doodles.
A guy is done with his cigarette pack.

6:12 PM: Bus arrives.
The Spanish speaking couple gets on the bus.
At Columbous Ave, A gets off. Busdriver says “Hope you don’t have much further to go.”
“Ha ha”

6:14 PM: Pizza Place on Mass Ave and Columbus.
Smells like pizza. A very quiet corner. Even the car rumble seems muted.

6:16 PM: A man is very angry in a car. Shouting on phone. “They take a credit card here.” Aaah. I don’t know.”

The smell of French fries in vinegar.

The guy that was at the Mass Ave Orange Line is standing next to me. Blue denim with baggy drawstring pants and flip flops.

“Hey”
“Hey”
“Hello”

6:19 PM: Here comes the bus.
Here comes 2 busses.

6:20 PM: Stop requested.
This bus is quiet. Only a happy baby gurgle. She gets off the bus.
A man in a checked shirt gets on.
Baby slobbers all over a lady’s face. Other ladies smile.

6:23 PM: Stop requested. Shawmut Avenue.
A man across from A has tattoos. A drawing of a scary face on his bicep. He gets off with me.
MASS Food Market man with a sweater in his 40’s. It looks like fish scales. He bought cigarettes in a green package. (I can’t see the brand.)

6:26 PM: Light changes to green. It smells like pond water.

6:29 PM: Light changes to green. Two young guys look like they were from 1976 walk by everything was old except them. Sky is clearing up. Bright afternoon light.

The #1 is coming to the next stop up.

6:31 PM: Green light.
Older lady in her 60’s is hailing a cab with an umbrella that has a huge wooden hook.
No bus. Out of service.

6:32 PM:

6:33 PM: Light changes to green. The CT1 bus comes.

6:34 PM: Green light.
A lavender duck tour vehicle goes by.
Joane is tattooed on a guy’s inner forearm. I hope he is still with Joane.

6:36 PM: Green light. It’s been 1 hour.
A gets on the bus.
“Silver Line and bus connection.”

6:39 PM: Stop Requested.
“Harrison Avenue and Boston Medical Center”
Woman in scrubs bumps into A. They have an exchange. I miss most of it. “
A said “I was getting off here”… maybe?
A car horn
Smells like sweet bakery and damp concrete.
A man in his 60’s has curried rice in a Styrofoam container on the ground and is flicking the rice around him. How he has a different container in his hand and is doing the same.

6:43 PM: Here comes the bus. A woman in scrubs has a dollar bill out to get on the bus.
Red Sox emblazoned.
Duck Tour.

6:46 PM: On the bus. Turns onto Albany Street. Two ladies discussing in Portugese or I don’t know what language. Not Spanish. Maybe they are from Haiti.

6:49 PM: Stop Requested.
In front of Tropical Foods on Washington.
A moves her cases one at a time in front of the stop. Sign.

6:51 PM: Man comes along and stops.

6:52 PM: Mass Ave bus passes us.
Man is changing the garbage.
Smells like wet.
Someone passes speaking excited Spainsh. I know because he said “loco” and everyone knows that much Spanish.

6:54 PM: Man is collecting the carts in the Tropical Foods parking lot. That noise hurts my teeth.

6:56 PM: #1 bus goes by.

6:57 PM: We walk towards the station.
I hear music.
“My baby doesn’t….”

6:59 PM: #1 bus goes by us at Williams.

7:01 PM: A puts her suitcases down.
Everyone here has heavy bags.

7:02 PM: She puts her suitcases down.
Again.

7:03 PM: Again.
We are walking fast.
The #1 bus passes us again.
Again.
The suitcases are heavy.
Sorry… it was a different bus.
In Dudley square.

7:07 PM: DJ Nighttrain is jammin’. I can hear his music from here.
I can smell the Dunkin’ Donuts and the Chinese place.
The bus fan rumble is like white noise.
I can hear the dance music and fan.
7:10 ON: The #1 starts.
A man has lots of dry cleaning and cologne.
There is a lady in a stylish turban with melon and white stripes.

7:14 PM: “Melnea Cass Boulevard”
A lady in a cream beret gets off. She has an orange sweater.
“Melnea Cass Boulevard and Harrison Avenue”
“Please report…to the bus driver”
Someone smells like fried food – that salty sweet smell.
“Northhampton Street”

7:17 PM: “Stop requested: Massachusetts Avenue at Albany Street”
“Remember. Courtesy counts.”
7:18 PM: A gets off the bus.
It smells like fuel.
A woman asks me: “Does the 31 bus stop here?”
“Yep.”
“Did I just miss it?”
“Yep.”

7:22 PM: Here comes the bus.
Nearly empty bus.
One person reads. One text messages. A man with a black bandana sits there.
20-somethings in bright colors talk.

7:24 PM: Man with striped sweats gets on the bus.

7:24 PM: Man with cane gets on the bus.

7:25 PM: Tremont Street.
Stop requested.

7:25 PM: We exit onto a puddle on the corner of Tremont.
Someone passes smoking grass.
Once again a pause in the sound.
The Corner Café. Smells of Middle Eastern spices.

7:28 PM: Lots of bikes pass.
Fumes from the cars.
A looks pained.
The bus has that blaring roar. She is tired. Having difficulty controlling the bags.

7:31 PM: We get on the bus. Fast stop.
A new girl gets on and:
“On the bus line”
“Getting on and off the bus”
“That’s what I am doing”
“What about you, what are you doing?”
“Hopefully, yeah.”
“She’s outer came….bridge.”
7:33 PM: Fast stop at Symphony.
“Yeah.”
“O-oh!”
“So whenever I have…”
“That’s awesome”
“Yeah.”
“I got beat up yesterday.”
“Oh!”
“Yeah… That’s pretty scary.”
“Yes.”
“ What’s that?”

7:35 PM: Newbury Street.

Performance ended at 7:36, 2 hours after the start and right after Newbury Street stop.

I wanted to speed up or slow down most of the 2 hours. I enjoyed the hanging out, observing, paying attention to the city. You know… the stopping and smelling the roses kind of deal. I wanted to capture all of the things that Andi might have missed.