The Time A Woman Picked Me Up in NOLA
Linda says this week’s Manic Monday word is kit.
On one of our visits to New Orleans, we decided we wanted to see Longue Vue House (highly recommended) we didn’t have a car and we were staying in the French Quarter, too far to walk. We debated between a cab and the bus and after looking at the bus route we figured we had the time and it would be a nice ride.
We didn’t realize that we would have to change buses until we were dropped off at the transfer stop. (Give me a break, we don’t have mass transit in my town.) After checking the schedule and map again, we decided we were within walking distance and we would walk by one of the many cemeteries and a Golf Country Club.
It was a typical New Orleans summer day: hot and humid and on the shady side of steet there were no sidewalks. It was so uncomfortable we chose the shade.
As we found ourselves walking closer to traffic in ankle high grass and litter, we decided to cross the street.
We hadn’t walked half a block when I noticed a beautiful blue Jag going the opposite way, I rubbernecked and we continued walking. Within a minute the Jag had turned around and pulled up to the curb and the window rolled down.
A striking 70ish, obviously well-do-do woman asked if we were headed to Longue Vue House and when we said yes, she offered us a ride.
Yep, a total stranger offered a couple of sweaty tourists a ride to a place that was the opposite way she was headed.
We declined, she insisted.
We accepted. She drove us there – and insisted we take her card and call her when we were ready to go back to the bus station.
Her name was Kit Blue.
After the tour, which was a couple hours, and a short discussion, we decided we should take her up on her offer.
When we called, she invited us to her home to have a drink with she and her husband.
We declined, and have regretted it ever since.
She picked us up and drove us the twenty minute drive (90 minutes by bus) right to our hotel door.
We wonder what the full story is about Kit Blue of New Orleans.
Well, Streetcar Named Desire was set in NOLA, and remember the line said by Blanche about relying “on the kindness of strangers”. In the northeast, you will find kindness, but far more in the Gulf South…
No argument here! Thanks for the refresher on Steetcar Named Desire.
I didn’t remember that line.