I woke up to a grey morning today. The sky was grey, my sweater was grey, and my threadbare brown ‘cozy’ hoodie (because when the weather won’t make the effort, why should I?) has been verging on grey for years. I stepped out the door, already late, into a grey drizzle. It was a bus morning.
The rush hour bus is a grim way to start any day, stopping and starting and stopping and starting, all through downtown gridlock. But today, there was no way around it. I rolled up my torn cuffs as discreetly as I could in a bus full of business suits and shiny shoes, and stood by the back doors to wait for my stop.
I was well on my way to daydreaming myself out of my funk when the bus slowed and settled by the curb. I pushed the doors, but they didn’t budge. I pushed again, and jiggled the long handles… nothing. The bus hissed and I felt the jolt of the flyweel kicking in. Great, just great.
“Back doors,” I called out. The bus jerked forward. “Back doors, please!” I shouted over the crowd, who had all turned their heads to watch.
The bus driver glared at me in his mirror. I shook the doors again and glared back.
His answer came back biting: “Could you at least let me get to the bus stop first.”
This is why I walk to work ~ sigh.
July 9, 2009 at 10:43 am |
This is an all to familiar place for me also. This am..the bus driver was new on the route so proceeded to stop at every stop vs……the 9th Ave Stops designated for these Special routes called EXPRESS ROUTES. I had to budge by about 10 people standing in anger and it was not pleasant……..then the rain.
A morning to say the least!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 9, 2009 at 11:08 am |
I know, “then the rain”… seriously!!!! There is no mercy on public transport these days, as if there ever was? I can just see a convoy of covered wagons getting gridlocked in the ol’ West. We’re lucky though… those poor saps had to deal with way more methane!
July 9, 2009 at 11:13 am |
Bus drivers in Calgary are rude beyond belief. I could go on for days about this.
(Not bus drivers in general, just bus drivers in Calgary. I remember bus drivers in Toronto being polite, well-mannered, helpful, and human beings!)
DM
July 9, 2009 at 11:25 am |
Ah yes DM, the good ol’ days back East. Imagine, human beings at the wheel! I’m from Ottawa, where the bus system is a veritable limo service compared to the ‘Wild West’. I guess Torona’ has some perks to it after all~wink.
July 10, 2009 at 9:59 am |
You know… I’d walk too, faced with that kind of experience. Especially if it’s a repeated kind of experience.
July 10, 2009 at 10:52 am |
Story of my life! My public transit embarrassments are like Lays, can’t stop at just one lol. Mmmm chips. Nothing comforts the soul like salty, greasy similes ; )