6 April 2012
Living in London, I use public transport nearly every day to get to where ever it is I need to be. The form of transport being bus/train/tram/tube. Though I do enjoy using public transport, there are many aspects of it which I believe to be "annoying". Though I'm sure if they didn't exist, it would make my journey a miserable one.
Here's just a story of one of my journeys. Heading to college, highlighting public transport negatives along the way.
I rush out of the door, flustered as always mentally checking I haven't forgotten anything at home. Check my watch. It's 07:41. I've missed the second bus. I sigh and slow down suddenly feeling conscious that I might be walking strange. I look down at my feet. No I'm walking fine. Now I'm paranoid that everyone's looking at me. Nope, there's no one on the street. Then I spot the old woman who always gets the late bus with me locking her front door, slowly and gracefully putting on her gloves and walking at a fast pace up the hill towards the bus stop. I speed up trying desperately to catch up with her, giving a slight jog up the hill. Out of breath and feeling a small stitch coming on, I go back to walking slowly again. The old woman has turned the corner and has now probably reached the bus stop. I hum 'Precious Time' by The Maccabees stopping now and then at the parts where I've forgotten the words. Finally I reach the top of the hill and turn the corner. There's the bus stop. Lots of people. No bus. I jog to the bus stop and stand patiently breathing in the cold air. I look around. There's the music teacher on his phone. A student from the lower year shuffling uncomfortably, her blue uniform brightly lighting up the dull morning. A girl checking out her hair in the Buddhist shop window, bald guy, couple talking fast in a different language, the old woman, a few kids from a high school down the road and a mother and her three kids. My chances of getting on this bus is slim. Check my watch again. 08:00. 20 minutes to get to college or I'm late. In the distance I see a bus approaching, I can't make out the numbers on the front. I squint. No help. I can't see. I see the music teacher walk forward closer to the stop and I follow. Must be "my" bus. And yes. There it is. Gleaming red. I take out my oyster card and shuffle my feet waiting for it to reach the stop.
The back doors of the bus open and a few people step out. I watch as people inside the bus shuffle to the back trying to make room for everyone outside. I turn my head to the bus driver watching his expression hoping desperately that he lets us all on this bus or I'm doomed. I check my watch once again. 08:06. Suddenly I feel a sharp thud on my shoulder as the woman with her three children pushes past me. He opened the doors. I breathe a sigh of relief and step onto the bus. Only just managing it. The doors close, my bag on the verge of getting trapped between them. I touch my oyster card onto the pad and it lights up green. I smile and turn to face the door. The old woman, and the high school kids are left outside. The woman next to me is banging on the bus door. I stare at her and realize her husband is outside the bus. It's the couple. Separated. It's too late though because we've already left the stop. I smile at her reassuringly. She looks down, lost. What a grumpy bus driver. He must have had a really bad morning, no smile on his face letting all his anger and frustration out on others by not letting them on the bus. It's a tough job though, I suppose.
The bus misses 3 stops in a row due to the amount of people. Bus overcrowding. One thing I can't stand. One thing which is inevitable.
We arrive at the train station and a swarm of people come storming downstairs as the doors open. I shuffle down to the end of the bus, checking for seats. 4. I make my move picking the best seat right at the back facing the front of the bus and next to the window. I smile to myself. Finally. I look around to see if any of my friends are on the bus. Sigh. None. I can hear the "we-think-were-so-cool" school kids upstairs. The ones who sit at the back of the bus with their music blaring, talking extremely loudly. I look around to see who joins me on my journey today. A woman with purple hair is sitting in front of me, occupied both seats. One for her bag and one for herself. She's texting on her Blackberry. I can hear the irrating click of her fake nails on the keyboard. I loathe Blackberry mobiles. A businessman sitting next to me is having a extremely loud conversation with someone over the phone discussing profits and other business-y stuff I don't know about. I lean back and close my eyes for a few seconds.
I check my watch again. 08:15. 5 minutes left and we've only JUST left the station. I feel so unlucky as the bus driver slowly plods on. No intention to go any faster. I suddenly remember a story my friend told me about when she was in high school. She was on a crowded bus afterschool and was standing near the door. As the bus drove around a round-a-bout extremely fast, the bus doors flung open and they were left hanging on for their lives. The bus driver didn't even notice until they'd fully turned around the round-a-bout.
My heart skips a beat as I realize I don't remember where I put my oyster card. I check my pockets. Nothing. My bag. Checking in all the pockets. I pull out my Psychology folder and shake it. The woman on her Blackberry stops texting and looks up at me. She's staring but I don't care. It would be the third time this month I've lost my oyster card. I spot a white case underneath my pencil case and breathe a sigh of relief. I put it safely in the back pocket of my bag and zip it up. I shift uncomfortably in my seat and look outside. The windows have steamed up, but I can make out the tram station.
I check my watch. 08:18. Two more stops to go. I look around. The business man has taken his laptop out and is making calculations on his iPhone calculator. The woman with the Blackberry has started texting again. A few kids from the high school down the road get off the bus. I take my phone out and start playing Temple Run. My high score. 11.2million. Recent score: 876,420. The bus jerks to a halt and I grab my bag, thrusting it over my shoulder. Holding on to the bar I make my way to the doors, trying to remain balanced. A few kids from the lower years chatter on behind me. As the doors open, a burst of cold air hits me. I wrap my scarf around tighter and step down off the bus. I make my way up to the school. I hear the bus doors close. Slowly, but surely the bus drives past me up the road. I watch it go until it disappears out of sight. I check my watch. 08:24. The kids from the lower years wait for me holding the door. I jog a little and thank them. I look up at the school and make my way towards the sixth form. It's going to be a long day...
Public Transport • Opuss № I