Standing waiting for the bus yesterday morning I was mulling over the mild positives and the minor irritations. Why at this particular moment this thought ? Well because the bus I was waiting for was there..it had arrived early all its passengers had got off but it was not yet time for it to depart and nor was I yet able to get on.
Now some drivers are quite content in such a position to let the waiting passengers on and wait for the set departure time in relative comfort. Such consideration is a mild positive. Others subject to the compulsion of a smoking habit prefer to use the time for that and leave the bus for a moment or two of indulgence. That is a minor irritation, a seat so near yet inaccessible.
Now the day before was the first day of the working week for most so the day to buy a weeks ticket on the bus for those that purchase in that unit. That takes just a little bit longer at each stop a minor irritation such small delays and as I once did the same I have no reason to scorn it as a choice. However, it had added just enough time for the red bus to be pulling away as the black arrived at the stop I make the change and that was irritating, it is only a ten minuet wait but as I have mentioned before that is my ten minutes and they all add up.
So yesterday looked like having the same disappointing result, the red bus had left the stop and was a as far ahead as the next set of traffic lights. Recalling a fellow travellers remark on the same situation previously that the black bus had caught up to the red and passed it I chose to stop on the black bus and find out.
Sure enough at the tunnel style stop, where purple lady number three used to be, the red bus was just sitting, it was obviously a tad ahead of its time at that point and the black bus and I went on past. I got off at place of the littering incident comfortably ahead of the red bus ready to catch it as it arrived. I was feeling quite pleased with myself.
That pleasure expanded exponential when I saw the shoe and bag sales lady waiting at the stop. I have not, since she moved home to cut her journey to work down to one bus from two seen her to talk to, although I have seen her in passing once or twice. Wide smiles on both our faces we settled down on the red bus, side by side for some concentrated catching up. She was looking so much happier with a much better work life balance.
Although the journey was not much time at all for our conversation there was still time for laughter and sympathy and I bid her farewell at my stop with a lighter step at the renewed acquaintance and a gentle satisfaction at a decision well made.
This morning? An early seat on the bus and the usual change over point all flowing smoothly but without quite the delight of yesterday.
