on the roAD
well they say it is strange for me to do this
you know like I’m not one of the guys but I don’t care
I got into all this really by accident when I graduated in sociology
as if railroad’s got something to do with sociology
but when I graduated the job market was so bad I waited for a job almost
two years and as soon as this came I took it and I started cleaning
toilets and bringing pillows to the passengers and then six months later
and even then when I started I was making thirty-five thousand a year but I can
never save any money
no
as soon as I get off somewhere I go spending shopping
you know I’m a girl
anyway
in six months I started working as a waitress in the
hey you should’ve seen that I got there and they were
all over the place and I couldn’t carry two plates at
got the hang of it pretty fast and then I worked as a
was awesome
lunch car
all throwin’ plates
the same time but I
bartender and that
look red light again
no
two red lights
no good engineer will ever run a red light
so we are half an hour late that’s nothing sometimes we’re two hours late
the job is really nothing it’s all easy you say I got no social life
listen I got no life period
look at this I got engaged I’m forty-six and I’m so happy I didn’t say
yes when he asked me you know I’m forty-four still single yes straight
away no and it’s been two years now and he tells me let’s get a loft and
live together and I say to him look mister why don’t you get a loft you
got nothing to your name and I live at your place and then when we buy
some furniture you know just to see how’s it gonna work out and then we
got this computer
hey I’m not stupid but you gotta learn that stuff and so I bought this pc for
dummies book you know just to do things right and then I told him you should read
this and I will read that then I read my part and tell him this is about this and
that and when its his turn he wouldn’t tell me anything
I’m telling you this guy doesn’t want to share anything that’s his problem
I guess I’m not one of the guys and that’s why
ok we’re almost there
car two to the platform
car two to the platform
and you know why I really started doing this just like I told you I like
started working local and then I said to my man you know he works for the railroad
too and I tell him listen I’m going for the long distance
you know houston chicago florida
and here I am forty-two years I’ve been living in the bay area and la is great
you are wrong it is really something I’m telling you and it’s not that fake and
phony as you think it is exactly like that you know the jews from all around the
world came here and said that’s enough we’ve been forced out all other places too
long and now we want to make a city of dreams and that is exactly what they made
and you know what I don’t like san francisco that much it simply doesn’t do it for
me
and now I live eight hours away from la and when I have to work I leave
my place a day earlier come to the city check into a hotel and sometimes
I go out you know I love dancing and so now when I get off somewhere I
know for example I get off at five in the morning in phoenix and I got
this paper open it and look up places to go dancing
now look through the window all railroad employees are required to wear
safety glasses because sometimes we get so close
you know what happened once we were just like this going past a
freight train and I look through a window and see all these small
containers and it was this close to me it almost violated the
fault point
you know there’s a certain point called the fault point and if that point
is violated anyway
I take a look and every other container door is open and I ask the guys
why is that and they say
isn’t
that
sad
just imagine it it’s just because it was robbed that the freight must
have been sitting at a station too long and then they all laughed at me
‘cause I’m not one of the guys and this other day
ooh that was dangerous
I stepped on a clamp you know between the cars and you never do that
never step on the clamp because even if the train is in the station
sometimes the brakes release anyway
never
never do that
and then I got on the train and told the guys that I stood on the
clamp and they said never do that and then my man calls me two
hours later and tells me are you ok I thought I lost you there
and I tell him how could I have known that why didn’t you tell me
I’m telling you
he doesn’t share
and you know why we are late
because this is not our track we are only leasing it and that’s why we don’t have any
priority here even the freight trains have priority above us and do you know that freights
used to carry passengers too
ok here we are
you’ll see this is a nice place you have to climb up the
hill it is touristy but you’ll see there’s a cable car
going all the way up there and there’s this great
restaurant on top
mmm they have the best sausage with sour cabbage
it’s so good it is hot there but
ok
here we are
no you mustn’t get off before I do
ok now carefully
there you go
have fun
take care
good night