The Bus To Where?
Monday, July 28th, 2008I come from a small town. We didn’t have public transport, unless you count hitchhiking. Going to school was a big adjustment.
I have to go from campus to downtown. I see a bunch of people at one of those bus poles and figure ‘this must be where I get the bus.’
I ask them and yes, they are waiting for the bus. I don’t know how much the fare is but I figure it can’t be more than the five dollar bill I have in my hand.
The bus arrives. Everyone gets on. I follow. I try to give the bus driver the bill. I don’t know they aren’t supposed to touch the money.
He points to the box and says it’s a dollar. I don’t have a dollar. I don’t have change. Can he give me change? No, he shakes his head, either pay the money or take the next bus.
I ask the passengers sitting down, “Do you have change for a five?” Finally, some dear soul takes pity on me and gives me change.
The bus driver starts and stops along his route. I thought there would be some indication of what stop was what, an announcement or sign or something.
I peer out of the window anxiously. There isn’t. I don’t know where I’m going, having never been downtown before. It is downtown, I tell myself, I should be able to recognize it.
I was told it takes a half hour to get there. I’ve been on the bus an hour. None of the original people are still on the bus. The bus gets emptier and emptier. Finally it pulls into the station and goes out of service.
I ask a station attendant and find out I got on the wrong bus.