HOUSTON – There are a lot of wonderful things in the Acres Home community, and one Metro Bus Route is giving people a unique perspective about the area.
KPRC2′s Re’Chelle Turner rode along route #44 and showed us how it’s a vital part of the city’s rap culture and community.
Riding through Houston’s historic Acres Homes community, Turner met Metro bus driver Earl Small.
“I’ve been a bus driver for nine years,” Small said.
Small operates bus route #44.
“The area is beautiful, the people are beautiful,” he said.
Houston rapper Mike Jones created the hit song ‘Still Tippin” about the route nicknamed the “44,″ but Houstonians know it as the “fo-fo”.
“If anybody asks you about the “44″ they will know exactly what you are talking about. They’re doing remarkable things out here. They are beautifying the area. The customers are wonderful, and it’s getting really popular and busy out here when it comes to traveling and transportation,” Small said.
Re’Chelle: Have you heard of the song “Still Tippin”?
“I definitely heard that. I definitely got it on tape as well,” Earl said.
Re’Chelle: You know that song connects to Acres Home. It’s about Route “44″.
“Right, and it definitely means every word of it too. Every word that they say is the 44. Everyone will know exactly what you say when you say the 44. They know about the leaning in the 44, it’s just awesome,” he said.
Small says he gets to experience something different each time he drives down the route.
“It’s never the same. That’s a positive thing not a negative, it’s always something new and you always see something that you never saw before because it’s always changing. They always upgrading and bringing new things. They are always beautifying the parks, doing more construction, infrastructure, landscaping, and adding more bus stops,” Small said.
The “fo-fo” goes down Louetta Road and all the way to Spring before going back through Acres Homes and then south to downtown Houston.
“It’s a pretty long route,” he said.
The famous route is part of history, but it’s also helping families who don’t have any other transportation. It’s something Earl Small enjoys doing.
“I think it’s so awesome that the bus drivers can do that to the people that are coming on don’t know where they’re going. Some don’t know what direction they’re going and for you to give that information to them as well it’s awesome,” Small said.
If you would like to learn more about Houston Metro and Route 44, click here.