The young mechanic took Ronald to downtown Los Angeles and told him that there was a Greyhound bus station here and he could buy a ticket and take the bus out of Los Angeles.
Carrying the US military backpack left by his uncle Steve, Ronald found the Greyhound bus terminal.
The house has been rented out, so we should find other ways to return to New York as soon as possible.
The lighting in the lobby is not bright enough, which just disguises the lack of maintenance of the interior. There is also an iron grille on the ticket window.
Ronald looked carefully at the bus schedule on the wall. There was a bus to Las Vegas, and then you could transfer there and go all the way east to New York.
I bought a Greyhound ticket to Las Vegas, walked out of the ticket hall, and prepared to wait for the bus.
It started to rain. Ronald put down his backpack, took out the M65 windbreaker left by his uncle Steve and put it on.
The Marine Corps version is darker in color than the Army version and is very wind and rain-proof. Paired with jeans and a pair of New Balance running shoes, it is very suitable for outdoor hiking.
The Greyhound Bus Terminal in downtown Los Angeles is known for its poor environment. There is garbage and stagnant water on the streets, and the smell is terrible.
Ronald looked around for a waiting spot when suddenly someone spoke from behind.
"Hand over your money obediently, or I'll make you look good."
Turning his head, the two black guys were facing him with playful smiles. The smaller one threatened him with a knife.
Ronald looked around quickly, and at the same time said, "Here, don't hurt me." He put the change he got for the ticket on the ground and stepped back.
The little man squatted down to pick up the money, but the tall man rushed up. Ronald was wary and carefully avoided it. He put him on the ground with a weak leg. Then he picked up his backpack and ran away.
The tall man got up and chased after him. With a snap, he turned on the switch of the switchblade in his hand, and the blade jumped out.
Ronald was startled. It turned out that he had a switchblade hidden in his hand. If he had been approached just now, it would be difficult to defend against such a sudden blow.
Ronald used the U.S. Army bag in his hand and found a hole in it. He stirred the bag and the tall man's knife fell to the ground.
Ronald then turned and ran away, and the little man caught up with him.
However, the physical strength of the two seemed to be low. Ronald ran faster and faster, and in a blink of an eye, the two of them were out of sight.
The Greyhound ticket was lost somewhere during the fight, the change was robbed, and the backpack of the American soldier left behind by Uncle was also scratched. Ronald never dared to go back to the city center to take the Greyhound bus again.
The house has been vacated and the car has been sold, but we still need to leave Los Angeles as soon as possible.
Unknowingly, Ronald had run out of the dangerous area in the city center and ran to the vicinity of the University of Southern California.
There was a travel agency on the roadside. Ronald walked in and asked the staff in shock to get him a glass of water.
There is a woman on duty today, and the sign on her chest says her name is Samantha.
Samantha saw that Ronald was sweating and had a hole in his bandage, and she immediately understood that he had been robbed.
"Since the Grand Commander took office in 1977, the security situation in the city center has become worse and worse."
Ronald thanked Samantha and turned to look at the travel agency. He saw the discount air ticket advertising board at the door and asked, "Can you buy a direct ticket to New York?"
"Of course, when do you want it? Uh... sir"
"My name is Ronald, Ronald Lee. The sooner the better."
Samantha made a few calls, "The earliest flight is National Airlines at 8:35 tomorrow morning, and it will arrive at New York JFK Airport at 5 pm Eastern Time. The fare is $128."
Ronald calculated that if he didn't fly, the cheapest second-hand car would cost more than 200 US dollars, and there was also a question of whether a 200-dollar used car could last to New York.
"Okay, I want one for tomorrow morning." Ronald took out the cash.
"Last year, Congress passed a bill to cancel the government's guide price for airlines. This year's air tickets are much cheaper. It's a good time to travel."
After sending and receiving several faxes, Samantha printed out a ticket and gave it to Ronald to keep.
"Will I be able to get to the airport in time at 6:30 tomorrow morning?" Ronald blurted out.
"Why do you have to go so early? Just get to the airport 20 minutes early."
Seeing that it was Ronald's first time to travel by plane, Samantha gave him some knowledge.
"You should wear formal attire when flying, at least a suit and leather shoes. You can wear a tie or not."
"Go to the check-in counter first and check in your ticket with the staff. If you don't smoke, you can ask for a non-smoking area. By the way, it's your first time to fly, so it's best to ask for a seat by the window."
"Lunch will be served on the plane, and it's free. There's no charge."
"There are newspapers and magazines on the plane, but I suggest you bring a book to kill time. It's also a good idea to chat with the people sitting next to you."
"You can call a taxi in advance tomorrow morning. If you want to save money, you can also take the Airport Express."
“Where does the Airport Express take me?”
"Van Nuys."
Ronald took the ticket, took the bus to Van Nuys, and found a Super 8 hotel not far from the Airport Express to stay.
In the afternoon, I casually walked around the streets and saw several locations of "Rock and Roll High School" as well as the phone booth where I appeared. It was a good place to spend my last day in Los Angeles.
Remembering Walter Mersey's instructions, Ronald found a movie theater and watched the most popular movies to cultivate his aesthetic intuition.
The most popular film right now is the new film by Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award winner Laurence Olivier.
The film is called "A Little Romance". On the poster, Laurence Olivier is wearing a formal suit, pointing at a little girl and saying: "She is the new Grace Kelly of the future."
"Huh? Being praised by the veteran Oscar winner, it seems that your acting skills are great."
"I'll buy a piece of love at the Sunset Bridge."
"It is indeed a good-looking movie with a great story." Ronald did not doze off again this time.
An American girl went to Paris with her mother to work and met the son of a local taxi driver. When they were dating, they met a liar played by Laurence Olivier.
The liar said that if a couple goes to Venice to ride a gondola and kiss under the Sunset Bridge, they will fall in love for a lifetime. The two ran away from home and went to Venice, where they kissed under the Sunset Bridge and sealed their love.
Ronald came out of the cinema and found the director's column on the movie poster.
George Roy Hill, Oscar-winning director of "The Hustler" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", brings you "Love at Sunset Bridge."
It turned out that he was another Oscar winner for Best Director. Ronald wrote down his name in his notebook and planned to learn more about it in the future.
Early the next morning, Ronald went out early, took the Airport Express and arrived at Los Angeles International Airport.
As the travel agency clerk Samantha said, check-in was easy. Ronald took his ticket and queued up at the check-in counter.
“Non-smoking area, by the window.”
The clerk used a huge computer to retrieve the name, put a sticker on his ticket with the seat number, and released him.
"Please board the plane at Gate 4."
Ronald, wearing a suit and ties and sunglasses, passed the boarding gate and entered the cabin door. There was a couple saying goodbye outside the cabin door. Another person seeing off passengers was at the cabin door, waving his hands desperately to the inside of the cabin.
After finding his seat, the stewardess helped him put his bag into the suitcase. Ronald took off his sunglasses and began to look around.
The flight attendant noticed his embarrassment and asked, "Is this your first time flying a Boeing 727? Sir."
"This is my first time flying..."
After wiping his face with the hot towel handed by the flight attendant, Ronald looked around. There were not many people on the plane, and about half of the seats were not occupied.
There was a faint smell of smoke coming from behind the cabin, and when I looked back I saw several passengers puffing away smoke.
Hi, there is no separation between the non-smoking area and the smoking area.
After a while, the captain began to announce, "Good morning, passengers, I am the captain of this flight..."
The engine made a loud noise, and Ronald stared out the window. A strong pushing feeling hit his back, and with a sudden pause, the plane left the ground and began to rise.