Sunday, June 27, 2010

ferry princess

A few months ago, in Brooklyn, I watched this fellow have a hissy fit when the bus driver wouldn't let him bring his dog on board with him. I was telling John, later at dinner, that in New Orleans you aren't allowed to have or do various things on the bus or streetcar - no pets, no eating, no drinking, no smoking, no playing music - but on the ferry, you can pretty much do anything.

John was like, so you do it all, all at once! And then I added, but the ferry ride is only five to ten minutes long, so he replied, you do it all, all at once, in a big hurry! Hah. Yeah, sometimes.

I love the ferry. It delights me now just as much as it did when I first took it over here to see if Algiers might be the place for me to live, almost nine years ago now. I love seeing the river every day and although I don't smoke and haven't had a need to bring my dog on the ferry, I do often eat and drink on board. I appreciate the space, the taking of some time to get across the Mississippi.

I have this fantasy that some bright entrepreneur will start up a coffee cart just outside of the station... well, and also that we could have actual restrooms there. And that it could be made to smell nice, have comfortable seating, a newsstand, heck, how about wifi... but I also love it just as it is. Grubby and smelly and all.