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“ ‘Off the Bus, Grandma,’ the Driver Snapped — Then the Street Went Quiet” — Transcript

by Motor Mafia · 7,945 words · 1,070 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00And look, before I get into this, I need
0:02you to understand something about the
0:03road. Most people, they get in their
0:06cars, they turn up the radio, and they
0:08disconnect. And they see the world
0:09through a windshield. It's like watching
0:11a movie to them. Nothing out there is
0:13real. The pedestrian on the corner, just
0:16an obstacle, and the old lady crossing
0:18the street, just something slowing them
0:20down. They got schedules, they got
0:22meetings, they got a coffee order they
0:24can't be late for, and they think the
0:26world stops spinning if they don't get
0:28to where they're going. exactly when
0:30they planned. But when you're on a bike,
0:32there is no glass and there is no
0:34disconnect. You smell the rain coming
0:36before it hits. You feel the temperature
0:38drop. You see the things people in cars
0:41ignore. And you see the fear in a stray
0:43dog's eyes. You see the kids sitting
0:45alone on a stoop. And you see the
0:46disrespect. That's the thing that burns
0:49me up the most. And the casual
0:50disrespect. We got a code in this club.
0:53You respect the ones who paved the road
0:54before you. If you agree that real men
0:57and real women and always respect their
0:59elders, hit that like button right now.
1:01Let me know I'm talking to people who
1:03were raised right. It was a Tuesday and
1:05I remember because Tuesday is the day
1:07Tiny brings in those donuts his wife
1:10makes. The ones with the maple glaze.
1:12The weather was garbage. Not a storm,
1:14just that miserable and gray spit that
1:16soaks right through your leathers and
1:18chills you to the bone. The kind of day
1:20that makes your joints ache. Now, for a
1:22guy like me, and a little ache in the
1:24knee is annoying. For someone like
1:26Clara, it's a battle. Let me tell you
1:28about Clara. She's 88 years old, and
1:31she's got white hair that she curls
1:33every single morning, even if she ain't
1:35going nowhere special. And she wears
1:37this beige coat that's probably 30 years
1:40old, but it's clean pressed, not a
1:42button missing. She's from that
1:43generation that didn't throw things
1:45away, and they fixed them. They
1:46respected things. They respected people.
1:49She lives over on Fourth Street in one
1:51of those walk-ups. Her husband Frank, he
1:53passed on a decade ago. And her kids,
1:56they moved out of state, send a card on
1:58Christmas, maybe a call on her birthday,
2:00but mostly Clara is on her own, and
2:02she's proud. She doesn't ask for help.
2:04And she grabs that silver walker with
2:06the tennis balls on the feet, and she
2:08handles her business. So, it's raining,
2:10it's cold, the wind is whipping trash
2:13down the gutter, and Clara needs to get
2:15to the clinic across town just to check
2:17up. Nothing major, but for her, getting
2:19across town isn't just a trip. It's a
2:21mission. She has to time it right and
2:24she has to get down the stairs. She has
2:26to walk the two blocks to the bus stop.
2:28On a sunny day, that's 20 minutes. On a
2:30day like this, and with the sidewalk
2:32slick and her hands shaking from the
2:34damp cold, it took her nearly 40, she
2:36gets to the stop. There's no bench, no
2:39shelter, and just a pole with a sign
2:40that says wrote 12. So she stands there,
2:4388 years old, leaning on her walker, the
2:46rain matting down her hair, shivering,
2:48and she's clutching her purse tight
2:49against her chest to keep her bus pass
2:51dry. Then here comes the bus, big blue
2:54monster, the driver. Let's call him
2:56Speedy. And I found out later this guy
2:58thinks he's qualifying for the Indie
3:00500. He cares about one thing, the
3:02clock. He hits his stops, he opens the
3:04doors, he closes them, and if you're not
3:06on, you're gone. He pulls up to the
3:08curb, but he doesn't pull up close. He
3:11leaves a gap, a big gap and maybe two
3:13feet of rushing water and sludge between
3:15the curb and the bottom step. To you or
3:17me, that's a hop. To Clara, that's the
3:19Grand Canyon, you know. And riding a
3:22motorcycle in the rain ain't like
3:23driving a car. In a car, you turn on the
3:26wipers, you crank up the heat, and you
3:28forget about it. On a bike, and the rain
3:30is the enemy. It turns the asphalt into
3:32a mirror. The oil comes up from the road
3:34and making slick rainbow patches that
3:36can send a 700B machine sliding sideways
3:39into a guardrail before you can even
3:41blink. Every turn is a gamble and every
3:44stop sign is a test, but we didn't care.
3:46Not today. We hit the main avenue in a
3:48tight formation two by two. I was in the
3:51lead left side. Tiny was on my right and
3:53behind us 40 eight brothers riding
3:55wheelto-wheel. If you've never seen a
3:57pack this big moving through a city,
3:59it's something else. It's not just
4:01traffic and it's a force of nature. We
4:04move like water. One brain, one mission.
4:06The spray from the tires was kicking up
4:08these tall rooster tales of dirty water,
4:10soaking our boots and soaking our jeans.
4:13My knuckles were tight on the throttle.
4:15The wind was whipping my face, stinging
4:17my eyes, but I didn't pull my visor
4:19down. And I wanted to see everything
4:21sharp. We knew the roach. Route 12 runs
4:23north, winds through the business
4:25district, and then hits the on-ramp for
4:27Interstate 95. And once that bus hits
4:30the highway, he's gone. He's doing 65
4:33and we can't stop him safely without
4:35risking the passengers. We had to catch
4:37him on the surface streets. And we had
4:39to catch him before he escaped into the
4:41speed of the highway. We had maybe 3 mi.
4:43I signaled with my left hand, two
4:45fingers down, tighten up, and the pack
4:48squeezed together. The rumble of 50
4:50engines bounced off the brick buildings,
4:52creating this echo that sounded like the
4:54world was cracking open. And people on
4:57the sidewalk stopped walking. They
4:59looked up. They saw the grim faces. They
5:01saw the leather. They saw that we
5:03weren't just cruising. We were hunting.
5:05And I checked my mirror. The line of
5:07headlights stretched back as far as I
5:08could see. Cutting through the gray
5:10gloom of the rain. It was a beautiful
5:12sight. A scary sight. And but beautiful.
5:15This is what brotherhood looks like. You
5:17mess with one of ours or in this case
5:20you mess with the people we protect and
5:22you get the whole family and we blew
5:23through a yellow light then another. We
5:26weren't speeding exactly but we weren't
5:27slowing down for potholes either. Then I
5:30saw it about four blocks up that big and
5:33blue boxy shape lumbering through the
5:35traffic. Route 12. Got him. I muttered
5:37to myself. I tapped my headset. Target
5:39in sight. Four blocks. Keep it steady
5:41and do not spook him yet. Copy that,
5:43Jax. Tiny's voice crackled in my ear. We
5:46closed the distance. The bus was stuck
5:48behind a delivery truck. Fate was on our
5:50side and Speedy was probably back there
5:52fuming, honking his horn, checking his
5:55precious watch, sweating over losing
5:57another 30 seconds. He didn't know his
5:59time was already up. And we didn't just
6:01roll up behind him. That's amateur hour.
6:03If you roll up behind, he just keeps
6:05driving. He ignores you. No, we needed
6:08to own the road. I gave the signal and
6:10split. The pack divided. 25 bikes peeled
6:13off to the left lane. 25 stayed in the
6:15right. We accelerated. The engines
6:17roared, a deep and guttural growl that
6:19shook the puddles on the street. We
6:21surged forward, flanking the bus on both
6:23sides. Imagine sitting in that bus and
6:26you're looking out the window at the
6:27rain, maybe reading a book on your
6:29phone. Suddenly, the light changes. The
6:32sound changes. A shadow falls over the
6:34windows. And you look left, bikers. You
6:36look right. Bikers, big men. Serious
6:39men. Machines that look like they were
6:40built from scrap iron and attitude. and
6:43I pulled up right alongside the driver's
6:45window. I was close enough to touch the
6:47bus. I could see him speedy. He was a
6:49thin guy wearing that blue uniform cap
6:51and chewing gum with his mouth open. He
6:54was staring straight ahead, focused on
6:56the bumper of the truck in front of him.
6:57He didn't see me yet. I revved my
6:59engine. VR VR. And he jumped in his
7:02seat. He turned his head. Our eyes met.
7:05I didn't smile. I didn't wave. I just
7:07stared at him. The look on his face
7:08changed instantly and he went from
7:10annoyed to confused. Then he looked in
7:13his other mirror and saw Tiny on the
7:15other side. And then he looked in his
7:16rear view and saw a sea of headlights
7:18filling the street behind him. Confusion
7:21turned to panic. He realized he was
7:23swimming in a shark tank and he hit the
7:25brakes a little even though the truck
7:27was moving. He was hesitating now. I
7:29yelled into the headset. I gunned it. I
7:31shot past the front bumper of the bus.
7:34And Tiny was right with me. We cut in
7:36front of him, weaving across the lanes,
7:38crossing our paths like a zipper
7:39closing. We slowed down. The delivery
7:42truck ahead turned right and leaving the
7:44road wide open. Speedy probably wanted
7:46to floor it. He probably wanted to weave
7:48around us, but you can't weave around a
7:50wall. I slowed the bike down to a crawl.
7:53And 10 m an hour, 5 mph. Speedy slammed
7:56on his brakes. The bus tires hissed on
7:58the wet pavement. I heard the squeal of
8:00the rubber struggling for grip, and the
8:02bus lurched forward, dipping its nose as
8:04it came to a halt just inches from my
8:06rear fender. I put my boots down on the
8:08asphalt. I kicked the kickstand out.
8:11Clang. And to my right, Tiny did the
8:13same. Behind us, 48 other kickstands hit
8:16the ground. We killed the engines. This
8:18is the part that always gets them. The
8:20noise is scary and sure, but the
8:22silence. The silence is terrifying. One
8:24second, the air is filled with the roar
8:26of 50 V twins. The next second, and
8:28nothing but the sound of the rain
8:30hitting the metal roofs and the heavy
8:32breathing of the city. We climbed off
8:34the bikes slowly, deliberately. We
8:36didn't run to the bus and we didn't
8:38scream. We just stood there. We formed a
8:41semi circle around the front of that
8:42bus. 50 of us, arms crossed, water
8:45dripping off our helmets and leather
8:47creaking as we shifted our weight.
8:49Traffic behind the bus was stopped. Cars
8:51started honking. Beep beep. But then the
8:53drivers saw who was blocking the road.
8:56And the honking stopped real quick.
8:58Nobody wanted to be the guy who annoyed
8:59the motor mafia today. Speedy was
9:01frozen. I could see him through the
9:03giant windshield and he was gripping
9:05that steering wheel like it was the only
9:07thing keeping him from falling off the
9:09face of the earth. He locked the doors
9:12and I heard the thunk of the pneumatic
9:14locks engaging. He thought a glass door
9:16was going to protect him. He thought he
9:18could just sit there and wait us out. I
9:20walked forward and my boots splashed in
9:22the puddles. I walked right to the
9:24center of the lane directly in front of
9:26the massive grill of the bus. I looked
9:29up at him and he looked like a deer in
9:31headlights except he was the one driving
9:33the headlights. He picked up his radio,
9:35probably calling dispatch, probably
9:37screaming for help. And there's a gang.
9:40They blocked the road. Send police. Let
9:42him call. By the time anyone got here,
9:44we'd be done. And besides, we weren't
9:46breaking any laws. We were just and
9:48having a conversation. A very serious
9:50conversation about customer service
9:52standards. I pointed at him, just one
9:54finger. Then I pointed at the ground.
9:56Get out. And he shook his head.
9:58frantically. No, no way. I could read
10:00his lips. I took a step closer. I walked
10:03around to the driver's side door. The
10:05glass panels were splashed with mud and
10:07the same mud he sprayed on Clara. I
10:09tapped on the glass with my knuckles. It
10:10wasn't a hard knock. It was a polite
10:12knock. Wrap wrap wrap. He flinched with
10:15every tap and Tiny came up behind me.
10:17Tiny is 6'7. He blocks out the sun. He
10:21leaned in close to the glass and just
10:22fogged it up with his breath. And he
10:24didn't even have to make a face. Tiny's
10:26face is a warning label all on its own.
10:29Inside the bus, the passengers were
10:31standing up and they were pressing their
10:33faces against the windows. They weren't
10:35scared of us anymore. They were curious.
10:37A few of them had been on the bus when
10:39Clara got left behind and they knew. I
10:42saw a young guy in a hoodie point at the
10:44driver and then give me a thumbs up. The
10:46court of public opinion had already
10:48reached a verdict. Guilty. And I looked
10:50at Speedy again. He was sweating now
10:52despite the cold. He was trapped. He
10:54couldn't go forward. He couldn't go
10:56back. He couldn't fly away and he had to
10:58face the music. I pointed to the door
11:00release lever again. I mouthed the words
11:02slowly so he wouldn't misunderstand.
11:04Open the door. He looked at his radio
11:06and no answer. He looked at the traffic.
11:09No help. He looked at me. He realized he
11:11had two choices. He could sit in there
11:13until he ran out of gas and or he could
11:15come out and take his medicine like a
11:17man. His hands shook as he reached for
11:19the lever. And the hydraulic hiss of the
11:21door opening was the sweetest sound I'd
11:23heard all day. It sounded like justice.
11:26The doors folded back. The steps
11:28lowered. I didn't step up and I stayed
11:30on the ground. This was his territory up
11:32there. I wanted him on mine. Step out, I
11:35said. My voice was calm, deep, cutting
11:37through the sound of the rain. And we
11:39need to talk about your schedule. The
11:41doors hiss open. Speedy doesn't look at
11:43her. He's looking at his watch. He's
11:45tapping his fingers on the steering
11:46wheel. Tap and tap tap. Clara shuffles
11:49forward. She lifts the walker. It's
11:51heavy for her. She tries to bridge the
11:53gap, putting the legs of the walker onto
11:55the bus step and but the bus is high.
11:57Her arms are weak. She gets two legs of
11:59the walker up, but it slips. Clatters
12:01against the metal. Hey, watch the paint.
12:03Speedy yells. And that's the first thing
12:05he says to her. Not. Do you need a hand?
12:08Not take your time, ma'am. Just worrying
12:10about the paint on a city bus that's
12:12already covered in dents. And Clara
12:14flinches. I'm sorry, she says. Her voice
12:17is barely a whisper. The wind takes it
12:19away. I'm trying. She lifts the walk and
12:22she steps into the puddle. The freezing
12:24water goes right over her shoes, soaking
12:26her socks. She doesn't complain. She
12:29just grunts with the effort and trying
12:30to hoist herself up that first giant
12:32step. Her hand is shaking so bad she can
12:35hardly grip the rail. Come on, lady.
12:37Speedy barks. I ain't got all day and
12:39scheduled to keep. She looks up at him.
12:42Water dripping off her nose. Please, she
12:44says. I just need a moment. My pass.
12:46It's in my bag. and she lets go of the
12:48rail with one hand to reach into her
12:50purse. That was her mistake. She loses
12:52her balance. She stumbles back. She
12:54catches herself and but the walker
12:56slides back down to the pavement with a
12:58loud crash. Speedy size, the kind of
13:01sigh that says, "You are wasting my
13:03life." He looks in the rearview mirror
13:05and he sees the empty road ahead. He
13:07sees a green light up the block. "Forget
13:08it," he says. He hits the button. The
13:11hydraulics hiss. The doors start to
13:13close and Clara is standing right there.
13:15The doors swing shut. smacking the front
13:17of her walker. She has to yank it back
13:19so she doesn't get dragged. "Wait," she
13:21cries out. "Please, and the next one
13:24isn't for an hour." Speedy didn't even
13:26look. He punched the gas. The bus
13:27roared. The back wheels spun and
13:29shooting a spray of mud and dirty water
13:32right over Clara, covered her beige
13:34coat, splattered her face. He left her
13:36there, 88 years old, soaking wet and mud
13:39on her face, trembling on the curb while
13:41the Route 12 bus faded into the rain.
13:43Now, Speedy thought he got away with it.
13:45He thought nobody saw. And just another
13:47invisible old lady. Who's she going to
13:49tell? Who's going to care? But he made a
13:51mistake. A big one. See across the
13:54street there's a little gas station. And
13:55then parked at pump number four was a
13:57beat up Harley Sportster. And standing
13:59next to that bike pumping gas was a kid
14:02we call Rookie. Rookie is young and he's
14:04still earning his patch. He's got a lot
14:07to learn about riding in formation, but
14:09he's got a good heart. He was watching
14:11the whole thing. He saw the struggle and
14:13he saw the puddle. He saw the doors
14:15close. He saw the mud fly. Rookie didn't
14:17move for a second. He just stared, the
14:19gas nozzle clicking off in his hand, and
14:22he couldn't believe what he just saw. A
14:24human being treating another human being
14:26like trash. He hung up the nozzle. He
14:28didn't even go inside to get his
14:30receipt. And he pulled his phone out.
14:32His hands were shaking. And it wasn't
14:34from the cold. It was rage. Pure white
14:36hot rage. I was at the clubhouse pouring
14:39my second cup of coffee and listening to
14:41the rain hammer on the tin roof. It was
14:43peaceful. The boys were playing cards.
14:46Then my phone buzzed on the bar top. I
14:48picked it up. Yeah. And Jax. It was
14:50rookie. His voice sounded tight like he
14:52was about to cry or punch a wall. Jax,
14:55you're not going to believe this. What's
14:56wrong, kid? And you slide out in the
14:58rain. No. I'm at fourth in Maine. I just
15:01watched a bus driver. Jax. He just left
15:03an old lady. She's She's barely standing
15:05up. And he knocked her walker down and
15:07just drove off. Left her in the mud. The
15:10room went quiet. I didn't say anything
15:12to silence the guys. They just felt it
15:14and they saw my posture change. They saw
15:16my hand grip the phone until the plastic
15:18creaked. She hurt. I asked. My voice was
15:21low and the kind of low that makes the
15:22hair on your arm stand up. She's crying,
15:25Jax. She's trying to wipe the mud off
15:27her coat with a tissue. It's It's bad. I
15:30closed my eyes. And I pictured my own
15:32grandmother. I pictured the women who
15:34raised us. The women who scrubbed floors
15:36and worked double shifts so we could
15:38eat. And I pictured someone doing that
15:40to them. Which way did the bus go? I
15:42asked. Heading towards the highway on
15:44ramp. He's moving fast. Stay with her. I
15:47told Rookie. And get her out of the
15:49rain. Put her in the station. Buy her a
15:51coffee. Do not leave her side on it.
15:53What about the bus? I opened my eyes. I
15:56looked at Tiny and I looked at Breaker.
15:58I looked at 40 hard men who were
16:00suddenly very interested in my phone
16:01call. Madam, I said. I hung up. I took
16:04one last sip of coffee and but I didn't
16:07taste it. All I could taste was iron.
16:09Tenny, I said. Put the cards down.
16:11What's up, boss? Tiny asked, already
16:13reaching for his helmet. And we got a
16:15bully, I said. Bus driver, route 12,
16:18thinks he's tough. Thinks he can push
16:20around an 80year-old lady and leave her
16:22in the gutter. And the sound of chairs
16:24scraping against the floor was
16:25deafening. 40 guys stood up at once.
16:28Jackets were zipped. Gloves were pulled
16:30on. There wasn't a lot of talking, and
16:32there didn't need to be. We all knew the
16:34code. You don't touch kids. You don't
16:36touch animals and you sure as hell don't
16:38disrespect the elderly. Where is he?
16:40Tiny asked and cracking his knuckles.
16:43Northbound, I said. He's trying to make
16:45time. I walked to the door and kicked it
16:47open. The wind blew rain into the
16:49clubhouse and but I didn't feel it.
16:51Let's go help him with his schedule, I
16:53said. We walked out to the bikes. 50
16:55engines fired up. It sounded like
16:57thunder and it sounded like judgment
16:59day. We rolled out of the lot, tires
17:01hissing on the wet asphalt. We weren't
17:03riding for fun today. We weren't riding
17:06for freedom. And we were riding for
17:07Clara and Speedy. He had no idea what
17:10was coming for him. He was checking his
17:12watch, smiling, thinking he saved 2
17:14minutes. And he didn't know he was about
17:16to lose a whole lot more than time. He
17:18came down those steps like he was
17:19walking the plank. One step, pause,
17:22looking around. Two steps. And he was
17:24holding on to the railing so hard his
17:26knuckles were white. When his feet
17:28finally hit the pavement, he looked
17:30small up in that bus seat, looking down
17:32on an old lady. and he probably felt
17:34like a king down here surrounded by
17:37chrome leather and men who eat nails for
17:39breakfast. He looked like exactly what
17:41he was, a bully who got caught and the
17:43rain was still coming down. It soaked
17:45his blue uniform shirt instantly. He
17:47didn't have his hat on. He left it in
17:49the bus. He stood there, water dripping
17:51off his nose and shivering. I don't know
17:54if he was shivering from the cold or the
17:55fear. Probably both. I I didn't do
17:58anything illegal. He stammered. His
18:00voice was high, squeaky, and he wouldn't
18:02look me in the eye. He was looking at my
18:04boots. He was looking at Tiny's fists.
18:06Ilgal, I said. I kept my voice low. Soft
18:09and the kind of soft that's worse than a
18:10scream. Why ain't lawyers speedy? We
18:13don't care about the law. We care about
18:15the code. I have a schedule, he said,
18:17and trying to find a little backbone.
18:19Management rides me if I'm late. You
18:22guys are making me late right now.
18:23You're blocking traffic. And he pointed
18:25a shaking finger at the line of cars
18:27behind the bus. I stepped into his
18:29space. I got so close I could smell the
18:32stale coffee on his breath. I loomed
18:34over him. And you're worried about
18:36traffic? I asked. You're worried about
18:38minutes on a clock. Yes, it's my job.
18:40And what about the job of being a human
18:42being? I asked. And you think that stops
18:45when you put on the uniform? He blinked.
18:47I don't know what you're talking about.
18:49The lady. Tiny rumbled from behind me.
18:51And Tiny's voice sounds like gravel
18:53grinding in a mixer. The lady with the
18:55walker. The one you left in the mud.
18:57Speedy went pale and all the color
18:59drained right out of his face. He knew
19:01exactly who we were talking about. He
19:03couldn't pretend anymore. She she was
19:05taking too long. He whispered and I
19:08waited. I did. But she dropped her
19:10walker and I just I couldn't wait all
19:11day. She's 88 years old. I said she
19:14moves slow because her body hurts and
19:16every step is pain for her and you shut
19:18the door on her. You splashed mud in her
19:21face. I didn't mean to splash her. It
19:23was an accident and leaving her wasn't
19:25an accident. I snapped. That was a
19:27choice. You chose the clock over the
19:29person you chose to be a coward. I let
19:31that word hang in the air. Coward. And
19:34it's a heavy word. It cuts deep if
19:36there's any part of you that still
19:37thinks you're a man. Right now, I need
19:40to ask you something. And if you think a
19:42man is defined by how he treats the
19:43weak, not by how fast he drives. If you
19:46think this guy deserves a serious
19:48reality check, hit that like button and
19:50let's show him what real respect looks
19:52like. Speedy looked around at the circle
19:54of bikers. He realized nobody was coming
19:57to save him. The police weren't here.
19:59And his manager wasn't here. It was just
20:01us, the rain, and the truth. "What? What
20:03are you going to do to me?" he asked.
20:05His voice cracked. He was terrified we
20:07were going to beat him. And but we don't
20:09do that. Not for this. Beating a guy
20:11like this doesn't teach him anything. It
20:13just makes him a victim in his own head.
20:15We wanted him to understand and we
20:18wanted him to feel it. We aren't going
20:19to touch you, I said. He let out a
20:21breath. Okay, good. So, I can go. He
20:24turned back toward the bus steps and I
20:26grabbed his shoulder. I didn't squeeze
20:28hard, just enough to stop him. I didn't
20:30say you could go. I said I said we
20:32aren't going to touch you and but you
20:34are going to take a walk. A walk? Where?
20:36It's pouring. H. It's cold, isn't it?
20:38Wet, miserable. I'll get sick. She's out
20:41in it, I said. And right now, because of
20:44you. So, you're going to go see her. See
20:46who? Clara. I said that's her name.
20:48You're going to memorize it and you're
20:50going to walk back to that bus stop.
20:51It's about 3 miles, maybe four. Are you
20:54crazy? I have a bus full of people. They
20:57can wait, I said, and or they can get
20:59off and walk, too. But you, you're
21:01walking. I looked up at the bus. I saw
21:03the faces in the windows. I waved. A few
21:05people waved back and they didn't look
21:07like they minded the delay. They were
21:09watching the show. Turn around speedy, I
21:12said. I can't leave the bus unattended,
21:14he argued. And Tiny will watch it, I
21:16said. Tiny smiled. It wasn't a nice
21:18smile. I always wanted to drive a bus,
21:21he said. Speedy looked at Tiny, then at
21:23me, and he realized he had zero control
21:25over this situation. Start walking, I
21:27said, pointing south back the way he
21:29came. I don't have an umbrella, he
21:31whined. And I'll get soaked. She didn't
21:34have an umbrella either, I said. But you
21:36know what? We're not monsters. I reached
21:38into my saddle bag and pulled out a
21:40spare umbrella, and it was big black
21:42with the Motor Mafia skull logo on it. I
21:45handed it to him. "Take this," I said.
21:47He grabbed it, looking relieved. He
21:49started to open it over his head. And h
21:52I stopped him. That ain't for you. He
21:53looked confused. That's for her. I said,
21:56"You carry it. You keep it closed. When
21:58we get to Clara, and you open it for
22:00her. Until then, you get wet." He looked
22:03at the closed umbrella in his hand. He
22:05looked at the rain falling in sheets. He
22:07looked at the long and gray road
22:09stretching back behind us. "This is
22:11kidnapping," he muttered. "No," I said.
22:13"This is an escort. Start moving." He
22:15took the first step and his fancy work
22:17shoes splashed into a puddle. He
22:19cringed. "Pick up the pace," I said. "We
22:22got a schedule to keep." We fell in.
22:24Speedy walked in the middle of the lane
22:25and I walked right next to him, pushing
22:27my bike in neutral. Tiny stayed with the
22:30bus, but the rest of the pack. They
22:31formed a slow moving parade around us.
22:34Engines idling and rumble, rumble,
22:36rumble. Speedy walked fast at first. He
22:38wanted it to be over, but after two
22:40blocks, his breathing got heavy. He
22:42wasn't in shape. He was used to sitting.
22:44I and I need a break, he panted. Did she
22:47get a break? I asked. Did you give her a
22:49minute to catch her breath when she was
22:51struggling up those stairs? No, he
22:53whispered and then keep walking. Cars
22:56passing in the other lane slowed down to
22:58watch. People on the sidewalk pulled out
23:00their phones. They were recording and a
23:02line of 50 tough looking bikers
23:04escorting a soaking wet bus driver down
23:06the middle of Main Street. It was a
23:08sight. Water was dripping off Speedy's
23:10nose and his hair was plastered to his
23:12skull. His shoes were squishing with
23:14every step. Squish, squish, squish. He
23:17was miserable. He was shivering
23:19violently now. And why are you doing
23:21this? He asked me, his voice shaking. It
23:23was just one old lady. Why do you care?
23:25I stopped pushing my bike. The whole
23:27procession stopped and I looked him dead
23:30in the eye. Because one day, I said,
23:32that's going to be you. One day your
23:34legs aren't going to work. Your hands
23:36are going to shake. And and you're going
23:37to be standing in the rain praying for a
23:40little kindness. And you better hope,
23:42Speedy. you better pray to whatever god
23:44you believe in and that the driver
23:46coming down the road isn't a guy like
23:47you. He stared at me. He didn't say
23:49anything. He just swallowed hard, I
23:52think, for the first time in his life.
23:54And he actually thought about it. He
23:55actually imagined himself old, weak,
23:57alone. Keep moving, I said. We walked
24:00for another 20 minutes. He was dragging
24:02his feet and he looked defeated. Then up
24:05ahead, I saw the gas station. I saw the
24:07bus stop pole. And I saw Rookie standing
24:09under the overhang of the station
24:11holding a cup of coffee. And then
24:13sitting on a plastic crate wrapped in a
24:15blanket Rookie must have borrowed from
24:17the station attendant was Clara. She was
24:19still there. She was waiting for the
24:21next bus. And Speedy stopped. He saw
24:24her. He saw how small she looked. He saw
24:26the mud stains on her coat that he put
24:28there. He stopped shivering for a
24:30second. He just stood there and
24:31clutching that closed umbrella like a
24:33lifeline. Go on, I said softly. finish
24:36the job. And you ever see a man crumble?
24:38I don't mean physically. I mean inside.
24:40I've seen tough guys fold in a fight.
24:42But this was different. And this was a
24:44man realizing that everything he thought
24:46about himself, that he was important,
24:48that he was busy, that he was right, was
24:50a lie. And Speedy stood at the edge of
24:53the gas station forcourt. The
24:54fluorescent lights bust overhead,
24:56flickering a little in the damp air, and
24:58Rookie was standing next to Claraara
25:00like a palace guard. He had his arms
25:02crossed, looking mean, but I saw him
25:04sneak a glance at Clara to make sure she
25:07was okay, and he'd wrapped a wool
25:09blanket around her shoulders. She looked
25:11like a little bird in a nest. Speedy
25:13took a step forward, his shoes
25:14squatchched, and he was shivering so
25:16hard his teeth were actually chattering.
25:19Clack, clack, he looked at me. He wanted
25:21permission. He wanted me to tell him it
25:23was okay to run away. And I just nodded
25:25at Clara. Go, I said. He walked up to
25:28her. He moved slow like he was walking
25:30to the electric chair. Clara looked up.
25:32Her eyesight probably wasn't the best
25:34and so she squinted. She saw the blue
25:36uniform first. Even soaked in dark with
25:38rain. She recognized it. Driver? She
25:40asked. Her voice was thin, confused. Did
25:43and did you come back? Speedy froze. He
25:45didn't know what to say. He looked at
25:47the umbrella in his hand. The one I gave
25:49him and the one he'd been carrying
25:51closed for 3 miles while he got
25:52drenched. Open it. I growled from behind
25:55him. He fumbled with the button. Click.
25:57and the big black canopy popped open. He
26:00held it over her head, covering her and
26:02the crate she was sitting on. He was
26:04still standing out in the rain, but she
26:06was dry. And I He started, but his voice
26:08failed him. He cleared his throat. I
26:10came back. Ma'am, Clara smiled. A real
26:13genuine smile. Oh, that is kind of you.
26:15And I was worried I'd missed my
26:17appointment completely. Is the bus here?
26:19That was the dagger. She thought he came
26:21back to pick her up and she didn't
26:23realize he came back because 50 bikers
26:25forced him to march through a monsoon.
26:28She just saw the good in people. She
26:30assumed he had a conscience. And Speedy
26:32looked down at his boots. He couldn't
26:34handle looking at her face. The bus
26:35isn't here, Mom. He said softly. "Oh,"
26:38she said. Her face fell a little. "Then,
26:40and why are you here?" He took a deep
26:42breath. I saw his shoulders sag. "I'm
26:44here to apologize," he said. "Speak up,"
26:47Tiny said from the back of the group.
26:49and we can't hear you. Speedy looked at
26:51Tiny, then back at Clara, he raised his
26:53voice. I'm here to apologize, Mrs. uh
26:55Gable, I supplied. Mrs. Higgins, I
26:58corrected. And Miss Clara, Mrs. Clara,
27:01Speedy repeated. I'm sorry. I shouldn't
27:03have closed the door. I shouldn't have
27:05left you. Clara looked at him for a long
27:07moment, and she reached into her purse.
27:09Her hand was shaking, covered in liver
27:11spots and paper, thin skin. She pulled
27:13out a small packet of tissues, and she
27:15reached out and offered it to him.
27:17You're soaking wet son, she said. Wipe
27:20your face. That broke him. If she had
27:22yelled at him, he could have taken it.
27:23And if she had cursed him out, he would
27:25have gotten defensive. But kindness,
27:27undeserved kindness that destroys a
27:30bully faster than a fist. Speedy stared
27:32at the tissues, and his hand trembled as
27:34he took them. "Thank you," he choked
27:36out. "It's okay," she said, patting his
27:38hand. "We all have schedules. I know I
27:40move slow and I didn't mean to hold you
27:43up." "No," Speedy said. And this time,
27:45he sounded like he meant it. No, you
27:47didn't hold me up. I was I was just
27:49being a jerk. He said the word jerk. He
27:51owned it. I splashed you, he said,
27:53pointing to the mud on her coat. I
27:55ruined your coat. It'll wash, she said.
27:58It's old like me. And it's not okay,
28:00Speedy said. He looked at me. It's not
28:02okay. It isn't. It ain't. I walked over.
28:05The boys made a path for me. I stood
28:07next to Clara. And so I said to Speedy,
28:09"I thought step one, but words are
28:11cheap, my friend. Words don't clean
28:13coats. Words don't get Mrs. Clara to her
28:15doctor. I and I can pay for a cab.
28:18Speedy said fumbling for his wallet. I
28:20have cash. I slapped his hand down. Put
28:23your money away. We don't want your
28:24money. Then what? You're going to wait.
28:26I said wet. The next bus. I said number
28:2912. It comes every hour, right? Yeah.
28:31Should be here in 20 minutes. Good. I
28:34said you're going to stand right here.
28:36You're going to hold that umbrella over
28:38this lady. You aren't going to sit down.
28:40You aren't going to check your watch.
28:41And you aren't going to play on your
28:43phone. You're going to stand guard, he
28:45said. I can do that. And when the bus
28:47comes, I continued. You're going to help
28:49her on, and you're going to lift that
28:51walker. You're going to pay her fair,
28:53and you're going to make sure the new
28:55driver knows to treat her like the Queen
28:57of England. You got that? And I got it,
29:00he nodded. And one more thing, I said,
29:02"That coat." He looked at the beige coat
29:04stained with dark street sludge. And I
29:06want the name of the best dry cleaner in
29:08town. I said, "You're going to take it
29:10there. You're going to pay for it and
29:12you're going to deliver it to her house
29:13personally when it's done. I will, he
29:16said. I promise. We stood there for 20
29:18minutes. It was a strange scene and a
29:20gas station forcourt. 50 bikers in black
29:23leather smoking cigarettes, drinking
29:25coffee, leaning on their machines, and
29:28in the middle of it all and a shivering
29:29bus driver in a soaking wet uniform,
29:32holding a black umbrella, od old lady
29:34like she was precious cargo. Clara
29:36talked to him and she asked him if he
29:38was married. She asked if he had kids.
29:41She told him about her grandkids. By the
29:43time the next bus rolled around the
29:45corner, and Speedy wasn't just a driver
29:46anymore. He was a guy named Dave and he
29:49looked different. He looked tired, cold,
29:51and humbled. The new bus pulled up. The
29:53driver and a big guy with a mustache
29:56opened the doors. He looked at the
29:57bikers, then he looked at Speedy
29:59standing there like a drowned rat. Dave,
30:01the new driver asked, "And what the hell
30:04happened to you? Dispatch is going
30:05crazy. They said your bus is abandoned 3
30:08mi back." I know, Speedy. Dave said,
30:11"I'm walking back to it." And walking?
30:13Are you nuts? Just Just give me a
30:15minute, Dave said. He turned to Clara.
30:17He handed the umbrella to Rookie. He
30:19knelt down right in the wet slush and so
30:21he could be eye level with her. "I
30:23really am sorry, Clara," he said. She
30:25smiled and touched his cheek. "I forgive
30:28you, Dave. Go get dry." He stood up and
30:30he grabbed her walker. He lifted it
30:32gently onto the bus. Then he offered her
30:34his arm. He helped her up the steps,
30:36taking it one slow inch at a time. He
30:38didn't rush her and he didn't sigh. When
30:40she was seated safely in the front row,
30:42he backed off the bus. "Take care of
30:44her, Mike." Dave yelled to the new
30:46driver. "And don't you dare move until
30:48she's settled." The driver nodded,
30:50looking all terrified of the 50 bikers
30:53watching his every move. "You got it."
30:55The bus pulled away and Clara waved from
30:57the window. We all waved back, even
30:59Tiny. Dave stood there watching the
31:01taillights fade. He was shivering
31:03violently now and his lips were turning
31:05a little blue. I walked up to him. I
31:07unzipped my leather vest. I took off my
31:09heavy flannel over shirt, the dry one
31:11underneath, and tossed it to him. And
31:14put it on, I said. Before you catch
31:16pneumonia, he caught it. He looked at me
31:18your shirt. You You're giving me your
31:19shirt. Don't get used to it. I grunted.
31:22And And don't think we're friends. But
31:24you did the right thing in the end, he
31:26pulled the flannel on. It was three
31:27sizes too big, but it was warm. Thank
31:29you, he said. And don't thank me, I said
31:32her. She's the one who let you off the
31:34hook. I whistled to the boys. Mount up.
31:37The engines roared to life and the
31:39vibration shook the puddles on the
31:40ground. What about my bus? Dave asked.
31:43It's 3 mi back. I looked at Tiny. Tiny
31:46grinned and patted the back of his seat.
31:48And hop on, Cinderella. Tiny shouted
31:50over the engine noise. We<unk>ll give
31:52you a lift, but you're holding on tight.
31:54Dave looked terrified again. And but he
31:56climbed on the back of Tiny's bike. He
31:58looked ridiculous. a bus driver in a
32:00biker flannel clinging to a giant man on
32:03a giant machine. And but as we pulled
32:05out of that gas station, I knew one
32:07thing for sure. Dave was never going to
32:09leave anyone behind ever again. We
32:11rolled back toward his abandoned bus and
32:13the rain was finally stopping. The
32:15clouds were breaking apart. We had one
32:17last stop to make and then we were going
32:19home and the ride back to the bus was a
32:22lot shorter than the walk. Funny how
32:24that works. When you're dragging your
32:26feet and carrying the weight of being a
32:28screw up, and a mile feels like 10. When
32:31you're riding on the back of a Harley,
32:33holding on to guy the size of a
32:34refrigerator, the world blurs by pretty
32:37fast. The rain had stopped and the
32:39clouds were breaking up, looking like
32:41bruised cotton, letting these shafts of
32:43sunlight poke through. It made the wet
32:45road shine like diamonds. We pulled up
32:47to the bus. And it was still sitting
32:50there in the middle of the lane, hazard
32:51lights, blinking, clack, click, clack.
32:54And a couple of my prospects had stayed
32:56behind to direct traffic around it, so
32:58nobody had called a tow truck yet. Tiny
33:01pulled up right to the door. He leaned
33:02the bike over and end of the line, pal.
33:05Tiny grunted. Dave, I can't call him
33:07Speedy anymore. He lost that nickname
33:09the minute he picked up that umbrella,
33:11climbed off. His legs were wobbly and he
33:14looked like a guy who just got off a
33:16roller coaster he didn't want to ride.
33:18He was still wearing my oversized
33:20flannel shirt and it looked ridiculous
33:22over his uniform trousers, but he didn't
33:24take it off. He stood there on the
33:26asphalt looking at the big blue bus and
33:28it didn't look like a machine of
33:30authority anymore. It just looked like a
33:32job of responsibility. "You okay?" I
33:34asked, killing my engine. Dave nodded
33:36slowly and he ran a hand through his
33:38messy drying hair. "Yeah," he said.
33:41said, "Yeah, I never rode a bike
33:42before." I asked. "Hey," I asked.
33:44"Terrifying," he admitted. "And but you
33:47see everything. You feel everything."
33:49"Exactly." I said, "You aren't in a
33:51bubble. You're part of the world. And
33:53remember that when you climb back into
33:54that driver's seat, that glass
33:56windshield, it doesn't separate you from
33:58us. It just keeps the bugs out of your
34:00teeth. And you're still on the same
34:02road." He looked at me. He looked at the
34:0540 nine other guys idling their engines,
34:07waiting for the order to roll out. And I
34:09won't forget, Dave said. I promise. And
34:12hey, yeah, the coat to cut. I'll get it
34:14cleaned. I'll bring it to her. I swear.
34:16I know you will, I said. And because if
34:19you don't, we'll know. We're everywhere,
34:21Dave. Every intersection, every bus
34:23stop. We're always watching. I didn't
34:25say it like a threat. And I said it like
34:27a promise. He reached into his pocket
34:29and pulled out his wallet. Can I Can I
34:31give you guys something? For the gas,
34:33for the trouble? I laughed and it was a
34:36short bark of a laugh. Keep your money,
34:38I said. Buy a better alarm clock so you
34:40ain't always rushing. And maybe buy a
34:42couple of extra umbrellas for the bus.
34:44And he smiled, a tired, genuine smile.
34:47Deal. He walked to the bus doors. He
34:49used the emergency release to open them
34:51from the outside. He climbed up the
34:53steps and he sat in the driver's seat.
34:55He didn't start the engine right away.
34:57He just sat there for a minute. I saw
34:59him look at the empty seat where
35:01Claraara had struggled, and I saw him
35:03adjust his mirrors. Then he gave a
35:05thumbs up through the windshield. I
35:07kicked my starter. The bike roared to
35:09life. I revved it twice and the
35:11universal sign for let's roll. We peeled
35:13off. We didn't block the road this time.
35:15We fell into a single file line, letting
35:17the traffic flow. And we left Dave to
35:20finish his route. I have a feeling the
35:22people getting on that bus for the rest
35:24of the day got the smoothest, kindest
35:26ride of their lives. And we rode back
35:28toward the clubhouse. The sun was fully
35:30out now. The air smelled like rain and
35:33exhaust, the best smell in the world. I
35:35started thinking about Eda and Clara and
35:38all the other grandmothers sitting in
35:40their houses or waiting at bus stops.
35:42They're the silent ones. They don't
35:44complain and they don't scream on the
35:46internet when their coffee is cold. They
35:48come from a time when you just swallowed
35:50your pain and kept moving. And they
35:52carry a lot of history in those fragile
35:54bones. And that makes them targets.
35:56Bullies like Speedy before he was Dave.
35:59They look for the weak spots and they
36:01look for the people who can't fight
36:02back. They think because a woman walks
36:05with a cane, she doesn't matter. They
36:07think because her voice is quiet and she
36:09doesn't have anything to say. But they
36:11forget something. They forget that every
36:13grandmother was once a mother and
36:15mothers raise sons. And in some of those
36:17sons grow up to be doctors. Some grow up
36:20to be lawyers. And some of us we grow up
36:22to be the motor mafia. And we might not
36:24look like the heroes in the story books.
36:27We don't wear patches. We don't have
36:29superpowers. We have horsepower, but the
36:32job is the same. And we protect the
36:34pack. And the pack isn't just the guys
36:36wearing the vest. The pack is anyone who
36:38can't throw a punch for themselves. The
36:40world is getting faster, ladies. And
36:43everybody is rushing. Everybody is
36:45looking at a screen instead of a face.
36:47Kindness is becoming an endangered
36:48species. But as long as there is gas in
36:51these tanks, and you aren't alone. If
36:53you're sitting there right now, maybe
36:55feeling a little invisible, maybe
36:57feeling like the world is moving too
36:59fast and leaving you behind. And I want
37:01you to know something. We see you. We
37:03see the struggle. We see the strength.
37:05And we got your six. You keep being the
37:07sweet, tough, cookie baking warriors you
37:10are. And you keep holding your heads up
37:12high. And if anyone, and I mean anyone,
37:14tries to close a door on you or push you
37:16around or treat you like you don't
37:18matter. And just remember the sound of
37:20thunder. We're never far away. We're the
37:22sons you never knew you had. And we
37:24don't like bullies. So, here is the
37:26deal. And we're building an army here.
37:29An army of people who believe that
37:30respect never goes out of style. An army
37:33that stands up for the grandmas. If
37:35you're ready to ride with us, and if you
37:37want to be part of the family that
37:38protects the innocent, smash that
37:40subscribe button, join the Motor Mafia.
37:43Let's make the world a little safer and
37:45one bully at a time. I'm going to go
37:47home now. I think I'm going to call my
37:49grandma. She hates it when I ride in the
37:51rain, so I won't tell her about that
37:53part. And I'll just tell her I met a
37:55nice lady named Clara. She'll like that.
37:57Be safe out there. Watch the road and be
37:59kind. This is Jax signing off.

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