Tango 73: A Bus Rider's Diary

Gabriela Quiros, a graduate student recently moved to California from Costa Rica, never owned a car since Costa Rica's cities have a well developed mass transit system. Although the idea of driving in America makes her nervous, she works toward obtaining her license; in the interim, she rides the #73 bus route along the east shore of San Francisco bay to Oakland. She compares riding the bus to performing the tango, in which "two bodies must come together at just the right moment." In this engaging documentary, Gabriela takes us aboard this bus, where we meet fellow partners in this daily tango. There's Janet, physically disabled after a car crash, who must deal with stares and glares from fellow passengers who sometimes resent the time it takes to strap Janet into her handicapped seat, and Maria Elena, a Spanish speaking woman from Mexico, who relies on the bus to transport herself and a granddaughter to school, church, and other diverse missions. As a former regular bus commuter (SEPTA Route # 55), I recognized and appreciated the insights on fixtures like the "talking seat" located near the bus driver, and the odd bits of humor which somehow make the daily tango of commuting bearable. Ms. Quiros won me over with her low key but inquisitive manner, and her trenchant comments about how our political leaders ignore the needs of the poor and dispossessed. This video is a small winner for sociology and urban studies collections and is warmly recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)