Disgusted of Dublin
Mostly my morning commute is quite uneventful: the same people every day getting off at the same stops and an uncommunicative bus driver up front. The bus usually arrives on time at my stop, picks up the 10 or so regular passengers and deposits me about 50 minutes later, at the gate of the college.
However, recently we have had a very strange driver on rotation. When he is driving, he insists that we indicate that we want him to pick us up by waving our arms out for him to stop - or he has threatened to go past the 10 0r so people who have moved foward from their waiting positions in order to get on his bus. Just why he imagines we are gathered at the stop, if we did NOT wish to get on the bus I don't know.
"The number 45 stops here too, you know", he shouted at me. True, but it left just 5 minutes ago and there won't be another for 25 minutes - as he must know.
Yesterday, he outdid himself.
He was at least 10 minutes late arriving, so a larger than usual group awaited him. It was especially cold, as bad luck would have it, but someone stuck their arm out and he stopped. We set out - and suddenly another bus 'leapfrogged' past us and stopped at the next stop. Some people didn't get onto it but indicated that they wanted to get on our bus.
Our driver was furious: "What's the matter - isn't that bus good enough for you?"
So it went on for the next few stops; each time, some people chose our bus and each time, he harangued them. "You're supposed to get on the first bus".
"But he told me to get on this bus" wailed one middle-aged woman.
Finally, a more authoritative type of person said "He's only going as far as the college; we want to go into town", and our driver gave up his barracking of innocent commuters and drove on quietly. By this time we were so much later than normal, that we had to pick up crowds of noisy schoolchildren. The bus was uncomfortably packed and we finally arrived at the college gates 15 minutes late.
This morning I found myself awaiting the bus with some trepidation, but all was well. It arrived on time and the driver stayed silent.
However, recently we have had a very strange driver on rotation. When he is driving, he insists that we indicate that we want him to pick us up by waving our arms out for him to stop - or he has threatened to go past the 10 0r so people who have moved foward from their waiting positions in order to get on his bus. Just why he imagines we are gathered at the stop, if we did NOT wish to get on the bus I don't know.
"The number 45 stops here too, you know", he shouted at me. True, but it left just 5 minutes ago and there won't be another for 25 minutes - as he must know.
Yesterday, he outdid himself.
He was at least 10 minutes late arriving, so a larger than usual group awaited him. It was especially cold, as bad luck would have it, but someone stuck their arm out and he stopped. We set out - and suddenly another bus 'leapfrogged' past us and stopped at the next stop. Some people didn't get onto it but indicated that they wanted to get on our bus.
Our driver was furious: "What's the matter - isn't that bus good enough for you?"
So it went on for the next few stops; each time, some people chose our bus and each time, he harangued them. "You're supposed to get on the first bus".
"But he told me to get on this bus" wailed one middle-aged woman.
Finally, a more authoritative type of person said "He's only going as far as the college; we want to go into town", and our driver gave up his barracking of innocent commuters and drove on quietly. By this time we were so much later than normal, that we had to pick up crowds of noisy schoolchildren. The bus was uncomfortably packed and we finally arrived at the college gates 15 minutes late.
This morning I found myself awaiting the bus with some trepidation, but all was well. It arrived on time and the driver stayed silent.
posted by ruth @ 12:22 PM
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