Joseph Brown-Womack
7/13/2025 9:31 PM
For my Session 6 challenge, I went out and cleaned up some Tri-Met bus stops near my home out in SE Portland. The sun was already high on Wednesday when I stepped out onto 82nd Avenue at Stark; it was barely 10 a.m., but the heat was already pressing down hard, cooking my skin and turning the tools in my hands, gloves, trash grabber, and spray bottle, into hot metal and plastic. I set a goal: clean five bus stops before noon. The first stop was a mess; crumpled cans under the bench, greasy McDonalds wrappers tangled in weeds, and the Tri-Met Bus schedule smeared with what looked like permanent marker, probably from a tagger. I peeled off stickers, scrubbed the plastic schedule case, and bagged up the trash.
The second and third stops, at Yamhill and Mill Streets, were less overwhelming but still grimy. I found myself settling into a rhythm: grab, scrub, wipe, bag, repeat. The sweat on my neck turned into a steady drip by the time I hit the fourth stop, which was closed because of construction, so I took a moment to rehydrate and rest.
By the time I reached the final stop near SE Division, the two-hour mark was closing in fast. My trash bag was nearly full, my shirt was soaked, and my lower back ached. But the fifth stop had a kind of quiet dignity to it when I finished; no more litter and a clean bench. Standing in the heat, staring back up the stretch of SE 82nd avenue, I knew that it was a huge task, cleaning up the bus stops; but five of them, at least for now, were ready to serve their purpose with a little more care and respect.
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Amy Minato 7/14/2025 8:36 PM- TEAM CAPTAIN
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Evan Davis 7/13/2025 9:45 PMWow! Joseph, cleaning the bus stops is very admirable and inspiring. The bus stop I use could definitely use some TLC, every time I use it I never sit or stand in the actual hut because it’s dirty. I applaud you for this and will be taking a page out of your book this week.
