A Calibrated Bearing

I walked from the wooden bench to the narrow aluminum frame supporting the shelter's transit schedule. Beside the base of the glass panel, a discarded paper transit ticket lay curled along one edge, casting a curved shadow across the pavement. I set down my tan mug against the steel footing to secure my stance. Taking the stiff paper between both hands, I smoothed the fold flat against the metal upright, aligning its printed route barcode parallel with the timetable grid. Looking past the edge, the approaching crosstown bus stopped exactly on the painted street marking. A dependable sequence, cleanly verified.