Blunderbus

[lupestripe]

I have written about the buses in this city many times but I thought I would share with you an incident which happened on my way to work yesterday. Those of you who follow me on twitter got the story in teal time.

I left the house at 9.15am to make the five mile journey to work. The scheduled 9.22am bus didn't turn up so I had the choice between two buses at 9.32am. Clearly the bus company makes up its timetable as it goes along.

So I got on one of the buses which trundles along. After 9.30am fares switch to off-peak so a lot of the elderly wait until then to catch the bus into town. Now halfway through my journey there was (assumedly) a scheduled driver change but the replacement driver failed to turn up. Instead of waiting, the initial driver just dumped his bus on a lay-by and buggered off without a word of explanation.

Many people were confused, and the old folk particularly. I tried to explain what I thought had happened but ultimately we were dumped in the middle of nowhere and left to fend for ourselves. If you dumped old people in a lay by on any other occasion you would be arrested. Seems to be company policy with the bus company.

Other buses did eventually come but didn't wait for the old folk who were still stoically sat on their initial bus. They also didn't wait for an elderly man who was clearly trying to hail the bus but who was partly obscured by the first bus which was still sat there. I still don't know whether the replacement driver showed up.

I am now sat on the bus this morning sandwiched between two chavs having the most tedious and assinine conversations EVA INNIT. I think it's rude and discourteous - I think I am in a minority of one.

In other news, Rebecca Black has received a lot of coverage for her song 'Friday'. The 13-year-old's cut has been described as the 'worst song ever'. Now, it is laughable and truly awful but she doesn't deserve the mean and spiteful comments she has received. The chorus is quite catchy for a start, suggesting that it isn't the worst song ever. If you take it as a piece of bubblegum pop written by a teenager, what were people expecting? I guess I find some people's jealousy and hatred quite disturbing and to turn on a 13-year-old girl with some of the comments I have read is nothing short of disgusting.

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Comments

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I have two problems with cars - both of which you elude to. The first is their sheer expense and the second is the idiots who are also on the road. They are driving a machine which could effectively kill you and I don't think I trust the public that much with my life, as cynical as that sounds.

[alexf0x.livejournal.com]

Dealing with idiots is something that will forever happen and this morning was no exception due to the mist and fog in Cambs. People driving way too slow and way to cautiously (forcing me to make very heavy executive decisions about overtaking which with the weather I didn't want to do), or not putting on their lights so seeing them in the fog was impossible.

My blood pressure has settled now before you ask, but given the choice between dealing with days like this, and 2 hour commutes’ on craptastic busses I know what I would choose.

Cars, expensive and painful, but the personal freedom is worth it (more so since I live in the sticks and have no choice).

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

If I was in your position, there would be no choice. I'd have to get a car. Here, the bus service should be every 10 minutes and it should take 25 minutes to get into the city centre. Should being the operative word. But, in the grand scheme of public transport, the service here is quite good and it's just not quite bad enough to warrant getting a car.

I am thinking of getting a scooter though, if I could find somewhere to park it and guarantee it wouldn't get stolen.