Port Authority Area

No way this is gonna work. 17:55pm alongside Port Authority in Newark Liberty Express shuttle bus. We're pulling away. I'm supposed to be checking in now at Continental thirty minutes ago. Says we'll arrive at 6:33pm. Gives me an hour. Could still work, if on schedule.

Got disoriented nauseous around bus when my luggage wasn't materializing. Luckily another woman also was waiting & worrying. Turned out our stuff was on the other side in the middle compartment. I was the last one to leave the bus after a 2-minute ambulance standoff after a 10-minute post-Lincoln Tunnel block-the-box jam up. Rat in a box downstairs. Escalator upstairs remembering what woman said about Airport Shuttles second floor. Information booth in basement unoccupied & disabled. Upstairs no word at all about Newark Express on legend. Up the steps to the information booth. Guy says walk out to 8th Ave, make a left and pick up the shuttle between the buildings. Turn around, race back across space and apologize to a cute 18yo asking for 50 cents. Down the steps, pedestrian-dodging, get to first set of front doors and I'm barrelling toward it rolling luggage & overstuffed backpack & this frumpy squat canker sore of a woman sees me and opens the door and Because I won't and soared thro the open door She says Thanks A Lot to which I reply No problem, Anytime.

Down 8th. Around corner. Cross street. Bus there. Peruvian kid runs at me , asks me where amidst two other white folks who apparently haven't replied to his question, Confused. He points to C, the third bay, swings it open, kicks existing luggage forward grabs my suitcase and slings it in. Ahh the others now understand what he's asking.

"Pay you?"

Inside, he points.

Up the steps I go against the back of a woman with a parking meter ticket maker slung over her shoulder in a dark blue coat. She backs into me.

"You have to pay," she says.

"I know, that's why I'm here."

I hand her $20, she gives me $5 back, separates a pink receipt in half with her fingers, hands me a slip and doesn't use probable credit card reader.

I walk to the back unoccupied part of the Blue Seat Bus and settle in and frenetically calculate how much I'm gonna miss this flight by tonight as she goads the stragglers to hurry up or she's not letting them on.

I can't fucking believe this is happening to me. We haven't moved 100 yards in the last 4 minutes. How are they gonna make it to EWR 16 miles away in 45?

My plane departs in 95 minutes.