Commuting by bus means I start seeing the same strangers often enough that I know they’re part of my community, in a way, and I start synthesizing pseudonyms for people I don’t know the names of. Josephine’s Human is the blind man whose guide dog I know the name of. Safety Vest Lady, who is still Safety Vest Lady even when she is not wearing her reflective vest, is a foot shorter than me and takes the other bus at my connection point. Book Kisser literally kisses romance novels as she reads.