Being back in the office instead of my wanderings around the island I’ve started to get the bus again. 25 minutes is a good time, although to read I’d appreciate a bit longer. It does provide perfect people watching opportunities. This morning I was struck by how the demographic of Belfast has changed, especially in terms of racial diversity (if that’s the correct PC phrase). Other things that stuck me:
The feeling of smug ‘I’m doing more for the planet than you’ sitting on the bus looking out particularly at drivers of 4WDs – particularly essential for the rough terrain of the Lisburn Road and City Centre. Then remembering how much I need to drive for work, feeling slightly hypocritical, and wondering why I have such a bias against drivers of larg
e vehicles
Bus drivers either must be changing or have been through customer service training recently. Often they were known for grunting and grumpiness (that may be a slight exaggeration, but they certainly have never been the most cheerful of people in my experience). The drivers of both my journeys on Friday and this morning all thanked me as I got off. I doubt I was causing so much trouble – or such a smell that they couldn’t wait to get me off their bus. It did strike me that such a simple act has actually made a difference to my days, Stunned by a couple of words – simple pleasantries, but nonetheless they definitely helped my day off to a much more cheerful start than some of my usual days stumbling into the office not quite awake with a little morning grumpiness.
Thank you Translink with your pink buses – you definately make my journeys to work more interesting.
the soapbox 