Life Behind the Wheel: Passengers, Respect, and Funny Chaos

Driving a bus is not so much a matter of a route a matter of dealing with people. There are polite and courteous passengers every day, and others who break rules or even abuse drivers verbally for no seeming reason.

Story:

A few passengers wish the driver greetings, thank him, and are respectful. Others don't make eye contact, are quiet, or are rude. Some come in without a ticket and don't even request permission. Being respectful goes a long way, but not everybody opts for it.

Funny Moments from the Road:

• At some bus stops, passengers are glued to their cell phones. Even when the bus is coming, hands remain down. Only after the bus passes do frantic waves begin. This can make braking hard, especially with traffic speeding behind the bus.m

• Sometimes, passengers attempt to bring on oversized items such as a big bag or even a miniature chair with predictable commotion as others look on and chuckle.

• Some travellers feign not seeing the bus approaching, then pretend to be surprised when it passes by, quickly waving hysterically as though they were invisible a few seconds earlier.

Challenges of Being a Bus Driver:

Bus driving is a high-pressure job. The objective is to arrive at every stop on schedule not ahead of schedule, not behind schedule while simultaneously keeping traffic and passengers safe. At peak hours, there is frequently no time to eat. The first concern is always to get passengers to their destinations safely and on time, regardless of the challenges.

Reflection: Every day has its mix of experiences. Some riders make the day pleasurable, some test patience, and some provide stories that are funny in retrospect. Observing people at close range manifests the best and worst of human nature, like those who verbally berate drivers for no apparent reason. 

Closing line: A mere "hello" or "thank you" goes a long way. Screaming at drivers does not speed up the ride. It just makes the journey harder for everyone.