Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?

Now this is a song I've wondered about.

It makes me think of a guy riding a bus through a rough urban neighborhood that he's familiar with, reflecting on the things he sees.

Lines like "dock work's dreams mix with panther's schemes to someday own the rodeo" make me think this song is referencing the news of the time. Like the Black Panthers were doing something, working alongside dock workers on strike... I don't know though, that sort of thing was before my time.