The Kitsap 25 Morning Social Club

This post is from Friday. Internet is hard to come by when you don't have any...
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5:50 Pacific Time- Friendly strumming from my trusty iPhone prompted me to lurch from my queen size camping bed.

A shower, clothes, and yogurt left me with some time to spare, so I sat at my deluxe folding table/desk/entertainment center and tapped my fingers for a bit. I made the decision to subscribe to a morning paper then and there.

6:45 Pacific Time- I strapped into my bag, got my 2 dollars cash ready, and strolled out the door to the bus stop that is conveniently located in my back yard. I stood out there for 10 minutes awaiting the Kitsap 25. I did a well enough job impersonating a local, as two men in a truck pulled up and asked me for directions.

6:55 Pacific Time- The bus arrived!! I got on the bus looking for the "insert cash here" machine and was a little shocked to see that the bus driver did not have a bullet proof screen placed between us.

"uh, I'm new here... I have cash?"
"oh yeah, just shove it in there." He gestured toward a plastic container with nothing covering it to prevent some street heathen from running off with the cash.

I took my seat toward the front of the bus to watch the events that ensued. I was unaware that I had entered an elite social club.

1) At the next stop the women sitting across from me quickly moved over to sit next to me in order to leave two seats open for the lady from the IRS.
"oh thank you. You didn't need to do that."
"oh no no, have a seat. Its no big deal."
Their conversation went on for some time about shift changes, bus times, and ferry schedules. There were clearly friends, not the strangers awkwardly conversing on the Chicago buses and trains.

2) As we neared a stop further along the way, I noticed a woman running outside the bus. She's in wedges, and running quite swiftly despite this fact.
"Perpetually late." drones a guy from a few seats over.
The bus driver slows a little next to the women, and continues at a slower pace toward the stop.
"Is this cruel?" He asks the other bus riders. (He certainly wasn't asking me, I'm the newb)
"nah."
"no way."
"she's always late."
At the stop, the woman boards the bus huffing and puffing to catch her breath. Holding up her hand she bends over and continues to gasp.
"Take your time. At least you'll be on time the rest of the day," says the driver.
When she finally caught up to her lungs, she proceed to monopolize the conversation with the bus driver for the rest of the trip.

For the remainder of the trip, I sat there, wide eyed, just trying to figure out what alternate universe I had boarded that morning. This is public transportation right? Perhaps things are just different here, or perhaps I got a limited time offer to join a club?