My first one was all the way up at North Plaza. For want of a better sense of direction, and the gleeful excitement of having a "metro" train service within walking distance once again, I took it all the way up to south campus and was quite disappointed when the driver announced that it was the last stop. I don't know what I had been expecting but I do remember wondering whether it would come out in another city's downtown.
Somehow this seems so appropriate, not to mention way cooler. Downtown to downtown - symmetric underground and overground sections. Like a light rail but also like a tube. The romance was killed brutally at south campus.
So back to the main story, that trip was memorable not only for the huge metro asymmetry disappointment but also for the near hysterical haircutter. She started carelessly whacking my hair off. I don't really ask too much from my haircutters. I just want it all off and a decent non-eggy looking outcome at the end. But I got more than I paid for.
She told me the whole in-detail story about how she was going to call her wedding off because she had just found out that morning that her fiance had given her a fake golden ring with a fake diamond pasted on it. She also sniffled into my hair. I didn't mean to be insensitive but.. Geez. I never went back.
The second haircutter had moved his shop from Utica to the basement of an old people's home on Main Street. It started out okay but I was the only one below 60 in that room and one of the old ladies was bitterly complaining that her new hair colour was not purple enough.
It unsettled me. Oh, and that place smelled really funky as well.
A few haircuts at not-very-memorable-places later, I met this haircut lady!
I swear she must have been a drill sergeant in her past life! She yelled at everyone in the shop - customers and employees alike, and gave me something very close to a military buzzcut. I was too scared to say anything and slunk out!
Then I met the best haircutter ever - LaShawn! I don't think anyone ever cut my hair so well as her. My hair didn't grow out of shape for a whole month! It was as if she had sprinkled magic dust on my hair and bullied it into behaving.
Unfortunately, she went on maternity leave after I had that haircut and I haven't seen her since.
The next one was downright freaky. While cutting my hair, he casually mentioned how his dream career was to become a mortician! Nice way to boost confidence levels in a client.
The last really interesting haircutter was an indophile.
He was covered in so many tattoos, it was hard to tell what kind of clothes he was wearing! He told me that his boyfriend usually tried out unique designs on him first and that's how he ended up with so many. I found that what little I know about Hinduism was very deficient compared to his encyclopaedic knowledge!
I seem to have knack for meeting the most bizarre haircutters and going to the weirdest of haircutting settings.
I laughed out loud at this post!!
Your fantasy of a subway to another city could be answered more or less by taking the real train to another city. Amtrak goes to Toronto (which is an actual city, like a mini-New York with fewer smell issues), Rochester (which has, um, buildings!), Syracuse (full of concrete!), Utica (which is almost like a city!), Schenectady (come for the whores, stay for the crack!), Albany (home of our corrupt state government!) and New York City (which doesn't really need explaining). Also, it's a very scenic ride along the edge of the Mohawk River, and you get a sweeping panorama of some lovely towns like Herkimer (home of a Rev. War general) and Canojaharie. Lots of lovely old Victorian houses, and some older Federal-style buildings too.
Anyway.
I haven't had a haircut in years. I just keep not getting around to it. But I now have 3 hair stylists in my roller derby league. Pummelina, of the Suicidal Saucies, works at Style Lab on Elmwood. I don't know where Cha-Cha Wheels works now, but I could find out. And Beauty School Knockout, a rookie this season, manages a big spa and salon out in the suburbs somewhere, I'd have to find out the name. Cha-Cha especially has done some really great work with people's hair in the league. And she's funny as hell.
Your adventure stories are great.
Two women I work with go to a stylist on Kenmore Ave. near Elmwood. They are both happy with her and said she only charges $12. I can get her phone # if you are interested.
I have no idea what he charges for a haircut. If I see Patrick this week, I will ask him.
@(e:gardenmama): I need a haircutting relative!!!!
@(e:pmrk): I need to check this salon out. How much does he charge for a simple haircut sans shampoo?
My friend and neighbor Patrick owns East End Salon on Allen Street near Main. He does an excellent job on my husbands hair which can be difficult as its very thick and kinda curly. I also recommended him to (e:Matthew) but I don't know if he went to him or not.
This post was very funny. But it can be really difficult finding someone you are happy with. I went to one guy for over 20 years, and loved his work, but he moved to a shop way out in E. Amherst (almost to Lockport) and his prices are so high I just couldn't justify going to him anymore. I go to my step-sister now and I'm usually pretty happy with what she does - and she charges me really discounted rates. Regular haircuts aren't really her thing though - she specializes in hair replacement.