Buses…Hmm…seems wrong. Busses? Nope. Definitely buses.
Anyway.
Follow my revelation about rush hour last week, I decided that this week, when carrying my precious laptop between work and home, I would do something I’ve been meaning to for ages and get the bus.
Buses, to me, seem to be one of those thing that have an inner circle. They’re like a cult. If you don’t understand them then you feel left out and like you’ll never be a part. (Probably a lot like cycling, and church!) And it took me some amount of overcoming my fears to find myself at a bus stop, awaiting the number 8, 54 or 55.
You have to know the routes, and the fares. You have to have the right change. And, most importantly, you have to know when to get off.
But, actually, it wasn’t all that bad at all. It helped that the drivers were much more helpful than in London (I should point out that I LIKE the bus system in London!!), happily advising on which fare to buy. And it helped that I’ve come to know West Swindon quite well – though why the buses take such a circuitous route I’ll never know.
I didn’t get stuck in traffic, I got to sit and read a book and chill out for 20 mins. It was probably a bit slower than cycling and driving, and there’s the unknown wait time to be included, but I enjoyed that. I abanodoned myself to the fact that I was at the mercy of the system and actually had a good time.
And, you know what, I’ll do it again! I have joined the cult of bus!
P.S. I’m almost a bus spotter in Swindon. I think it’s quite cute that Thamesdown Transport name all their buses things like “Sultan”, “Lightning”, “St Agatha”, and Hercules (list here, if you’re really interested), and I should probably be keeping a list of those that I have seen…BUT, I should point out, I most definitely am not!