All aboard the Friendship Bus! Democrats and Republicans talk it out in the City of Brotherly Love

Can Aretha Franklin's aged circuit autobus thief heal nan American governmental divide?

Parked alongside Philadelphia's iconic Love Park connected a Tuesday successful October was 'The Friendship Bus.'

The autobus is simply a societal research launched by Flash Pack, a institution that provides trips astir nan globe for solo travelers successful their 30s and 40s.

After a decade's worthy of journeys wherever travelers didn't cognize their companions beforehand, nan institution developed a paper crippled to get nan speech flowing and decided to return it connected nan roadworthy to 4 American cities – Chicago, D.C., New York and Philadelphia – pinch conscionable weeks to spell earlier Election Day.

Flash Pack's co-founder Lee Thompson, a recovering photojournalist, explained that nan scheme was two-fold – to thief pinch nan pandemic of 'big metropolis loneliness' and to flooded governmental differences. 

'Obviously, we've sewage nan predetermination and astir 70 percent of group opportunity they consciousness really anxious astir nan election, and it's really benignant of successful a clip wherever you request to beryllium connected,' Thompson said.

Flash Pack encourages group to make those connections by giving them nan opportunity to travel chill connected nan autobus – power drinks and sparkling waters included.

As Thompson gave DailyMail.com a circuit of nan autobus – which genuinely had carted astir nan Queen of Soul backmost successful nan time – 61-year-old Juanita Sojourner of Philadelphia was taking a break from registering group to ballot and playing nan paper crippled pinch a 60-year-old bum man named Wolfgang Karl Bors.

The paper platform gives players' mobility prompts – from nan much outlandish 'name your favourite portion of your body' to nan wonky, 'is location much to you than your governmental allegiances?'

That people turned immoderate conversations to nan November election.

Sojourner reported that immoderate Philadelphians were getting tired of being asked to registry to vote.

'Today they conscionable had astir excessively much,' she said, saying nan outreach has been 'overkill.'

Pennsylvania is nan eventual prize successful nan 2024 predetermination and nan campaigner who wins it will apt return nan White House too. That intends a barrage of ads connected residents' televisions and volunteers blanketing nan authorities encouraging group to caput to nan polls.

'When you commencement hitting them and hitting them, that doesn't do nothing,' Sojourner said. 'If we tin nonstop gentle reminders. Because it becomes a symptom successful nan butt. 'Stop stepping up to maine pinch this,' she said, gesturing toward her clipboard.

On apical of predetermination fatigue, voters who boarded nan autobus felt worry astir sharing their governmental beliefs pinch others.

'People astatine activity don't cognize I'm a Republican. And I wouldn't want them to,' revealed 24-year-old Darlenys Melo, an worker astatine nan Philadelphia Department of Commerce.

Melo expressed that she was voting statement complete personification – which meant casting a reluctant ballot for erstwhile President Donald Trump.

'I don't for illustration his personality. I deliberation he's a d***, if I tin opportunity that,' she said. 'He's stupid.'

But being calved successful nan Dominican Republic and later becoming a U.S. national she said 'there's a due measurement to travel into this country' and supported Trump's much hardline migration policies.

'He's much patriotic. He wants to protect nan state successful that sense,' she said. 'In nan DR we spell done nan aforesaid point because we stock borders pinch Haiti. I don't deliberation group understand nan challenges we're having successful nan DR is nan aforesaid point we're facing here. The crossing of forbidden immigrants and forbidden narcotics and conscionable forbidden everything.'

It was Haitian immigrants successful Ohio – and a conspiracy mentation surrounding them – that sparked 1 of nan astir viral moments of nan predetermination cycle, Trump connected shape astatine nan Philadelphia statement successful September pinch Vice President Kamala Harris, claimed nan migrants were 'eating nan pets.' 

Flash Pack labor were stationed extracurricular nan autobus pinch megaphones, beckoning group into nan vehicle, often pinch compliments. 

Brandon Hillary, a 36-year-old paralegal who was en way to a karaoke session, said he boarded nan autobus because, 'my feline told maine that my outfit was dope.'

Hillary was wearing an all-black ensemble, paired pinch shiny achromatic and achromatic wingtips, a brownish beanie and a metallic concatenation necklace. 

Asked if he was emotion immoderate predetermination worry he answered, 'I americium voting. I conscionable effort not to get into it,' later adding that he and his friends 'typically effort not to talk astir it.'

'I'm voting for Kamala. I americium voting for her because I consciousness for illustration for nan men of African-American culture, I consciousness for illustration personification is yet seeing america and they are knowing our authorities matter arsenic well, arsenic good arsenic being portion of nan LGBTQI community,' he said.

'I did my investigation connected Project 2025 and it's something,' he offered unprompted. 'I consciousness for illustration she's much focused connected our freedom.'

Project 2025 is nan ultra-conservative schedule outlined by nan deliberation tank, nan Heritage Foundation, which has caused Trump a governmental headache.

And what astir Trump?

'Umm. Hmm. Trump. I don't really person a comment,' he said.

Shawn Hubbard, 48, said he was presently surviving successful a halfway location and successful betterment for supplier addiction, 'so I enactment distant from politics, aforesaid measurement pinch religion.'

'It seems for illustration it starts a large conflict sometimes,' he said.

Still successful nan confines of nan Friendship Bus, he said he's a Trump protagonist – but pinch reservations.

'Some of nan worldly he says, I don't really like,' Hubbard said. 'He's said a batch of ignorant stuff. And he doesn't cognize erstwhile to support his rima shut. But erstwhile he was successful location for nan 4 years that he was successful there, I didn't deliberation he done bad.'

Hubbard said that a 'lot of these different politicians, they look to want to attraction connected these different countries.' 'And I for illustration nan truth that he's a businessman,' he said of Trump. 'I deliberation that's different logic they're trying to support him retired too.'

While Hubbard mostly came onboard nan autobus for a chill and a chat, 40-year-old Neftali Ramos, who useful for nan Philadelphia Office of Public Safety, and 35-year-old Sarah Gilman, a head of objective services astatine a behavioral wellness facility, took nan paper crippled seriously.

The 2 had ne'er met earlier but sat astatine a array adjacent nan autobus and went done nan pack, hitting connected respective politically themed cards arsenic they played nan game.

Ramos, who helped Philly's Democratic Mayor Cherelle Parker get elected past year, said he was emotion 'good' astir Harris' chances.

'I consciousness amended than I did 3 months agone erstwhile Biden was astatine nan apical of nan ticket,' he admitted. 'I deliberation location was a batch of apprehension, but I decidedly consciousness for illustration there's a caller level of power successful this.'

He said he liked nan 'opportunity to elite not conscionable nan first female but nan first female of colour astatine nan aforesaid time.'

'Like, wow, you're breaking aggregate barriers down successful 1 election, possibly,' he said. 'But I don't want to get my hopes up. I retrieve really 2016 went and that was beautiful devastating.'

Not only did Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton suffer nan predetermination to Trump – but Pennsylvania was nan authorities that put nan Republican complete nan top.

'It will beryllium scary if she doesn't win,' Gilman chimed in.

Ramos pulled cards from nan deck, reference aloud, 'Can you flooded governmental beliefs successful a friendship?'

'Yeah, you conscionable don't talk astir it,' Gilman answered.

'I person friends who are not Democrats. I person friends who are Republicans,' Ramos said.

But are they Trump supporters?

'Yeah, immoderate of them are. I effort not to get into those conversations pinch them,' Ramos answered, adding that he served alongside conservatives successful nan Army. 'There are definite things we're ne'er going to work together connected truthful what nan hellhole is nan constituent of arguing astir this?'

Ramos drew different card: 'Do you judge group for nan measurement they vote? If so, why?'

'Do I … yeah,' Gilman said.

'I mean, I do,' Ramos answered.

'Umm I deliberation not successful each business but decidedly if personification votes for Trump, I judge them,' Gilman added.

At nan extremity of nan paper game, nan 2 Democrats exchanged accusation and agreed that they could go friends – checking disconnected 1 of Flash Pack's goals.

But giving America bid astir politics? That would return a batch much buses.