I'm now into the count down of lasts - last proper weekend in Fenlandshire, last time I catch the bus to work on a Monday. Last time, hopefully, I stand in Arctic like winds for 50 minutes waiting for a bus that forgot to turn up, that's something I won't miss.
Bloody buses, they are environmentally friendly often very comfy and at the end of the day it's great to let someone else take the strain of thinking about driving and just relax on the way home. But round here, the buses seem to be staffed, with a few honourable exceptions, by misanthropes and curmudgeons who would be better suited to working with the dead or inanimate objects. They won't make any difficult demands of the drivers - like simple politeness, basic hygiene standards or rudimentary customer service concepts like saying please or thank you.
The photo was taken by GDstinx, found on Flickr.
02 April 2007
Bus
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You know what - I think I might have used a city bus all of two or three times. In my life. That works out to once every 10 years.
ReplyDeleteMy town sucks. The bus system is not very good. So driving is the way most people go.
I have used Fenland buses now and then. They are usually driven by maniacs who push the bus to the limits (luckily only 50mph) around 90degree bends and over the bumpiest roads. I just hold on tight to the seat in front and be glad that I don't have any loose bits.
ReplyDeleteAs a non-driver, I enjoy buses. But only when they're good. Moody drivers do not do it for me.
ReplyDeleteFunny bus story from the USA. I think this happened in New York City, but it could have been another major city.
ReplyDeleteThis guy really wanted to be a bus driver. It was his whole ambition in life. So he studied bus routes, learned all the bus numbers, rode on buses a lot and paid attention to how they operate, and so on.
But the transit authority would not hire him, probably because they could tell he was loony.
So one day he steals a bus. He makes the sign display a route number and drives the route. He does this for a while before the transit people figure out what is up and call the cops.
When the police stop the bus to arrest the guy, all the passengers can say to the news paper people is "this was the best bust driver we ever had". It seems he was friendly, helpful, cheerful, had a great attitude, would stop the bus when people asked, would wait for people he could see running to the bus, and so on.
He was probably properly groomed and showered too.
I've noticed in Norwich that everyone thanks the Park and Ride drivers and hardly anyone thanks the regular service drivers. Mind you, they are not the most cheerful types. I've chatted to pensioners who say that they are sneered at for using their free bus passes.
ReplyDeleteHope your move goes well - exciting, eh?