Moments that make me enjoy New York #57: The folks of the MTA

Though mostly a source of frustration for some folks, the people who drive the buses and conduct the trains of New York end up being the most unintentional sources of comedy. Don't believe me? Here's one of many examples on Overheard in New York.

A lot of times they can be helpful -- if they want to that is -- just not in ways you expect. For example, there's that one conductor of the uptown A train that always announces at 59th street, "Next stop is 125th street, home of the wooooooorrrllld-FAMOUS Apollo Theater."

This morning around 10:45 am I was going crosstown on 57th. As we were somewhere between 7th and 6th Ave., I noticed a minor commotion on the northside of the street. Nothing mob-like, but definitely a handful of cameramen buzzing about frenetically. I was curious as to what the big deal was, but there were some payphones blocking the subject of such attention and I was about to just turn around. Luckily, this is where the bus driver comes in.

Bus driver: Is...is that Bono? Hey! Everyone! That's Bono!

[bus inches up a little and I see that indeed, it is Bono, casually chatting with the cameramen and gesticulating with a coffee cup in his left hand.]

Bus driver: Everyone, get up and take a look, it's Bono. [People get up to ogle] Everyone gets a piece of Bono this morning.