[AGL] bus bench chat

[Michael Eisenstadt]

waiting for the #1 or 5 or 101 or 100 or Red Dillo
at 6th & Congress Sunday, i chatted with a New 
Orleans evacuee. He had been at the Superdome 
before and after the storm and had been flown to 
San Antonio and then flown to Austin and processed
at the Burger Center (somewhere in N.Austin).

Having a bunch of money he signed out and was
on his own in Austin, new to him. I asked if his
family was ok. He said yes although he didnt 
precisely know where there were at that moment.

He is a driver at UPS and wanted to know where
the Teamsters office is. 

He asked about cheap hotels and plans to rent
a car he said. Someone had recommended some
place or other north, I touted the StayAmerica
motel next door to me and its convenient location
seeing as he expressed an interest in visiting clubs.

i scored a CapitolMetro sched off a bus with its
tear out map and showed him where UPS is
out 290 East  behind our conveniently located
main postoffice. 

age around 30, full arm professional tattoos,
sizable black leather wristband on right arm
with 2 rows of cowrie shells, handsome

when i suggested that many would be real
eager to talk to him, he said that no, that
blacks were NOT eager to talk to him, although
browns were.

i shared with him a fascinating anecdote i heard 
once from the mouth of Harold Macmillan, the 
jazz impressario.

when he first came to town he discovered that 
old time Austin blacks of family were very 
standoffish surprising him greatly.