The other day, while I was up in Totnes on the 200 service I was slightly involved in one of those incident that usually only takes place in films or TV drama programs and I have no idea of the eventual outcome. What happened was this, I went into Totnes and dropped off at the Seven Stars Hotel and then up to the Railway Station. 5 minutes wait there and back to the Seven Stars. I am due to depart at 11 minutes past and I get there about 8 minutes past. There is a lay by here and on the bus stop is a Stagecoach bus, an X64 which goes to, actually I'm not sure where it goes. I know it comes out of Exeter and down to Newton and then to Totnes but after that I'm not sure, Salcombe I think. Behind that is an X80 FirstBus which runs from Plymouth to Torquay. I pull in behind and a few people get on. The X80 then moves forward which means it has either run into the back of the X64 or the X64 has gone. I know we are at war with FirstBus but running into the back of a defenceless bus is a bit over the top so I guess the X64 has in fact gone. As I am sticking out into the road a bit I start the engine and also move forward. I am due off in a minute so I don't get too close to the X80.
Then a woman comes running up. She is very upset. She wants to know where the X64 has gone. I have to admit I am not too sure. She then tells me that she had been on the bus with her husband and she had told the bus driver she needed to go to the toilet and he had told her she had 4 minutes but he had driven off without her. The woman then runs off and I don't see here again. Perhaps she jumped in a taxi and said,"Follow that bus."
One question, what did her husband do as the bus drove off? Did he think," Oh good, an afternoon without the wife!" and settle back to enjoy the rest of the day?
Footnote. Kingsbridge, that's where the X64 goes, I had to look it up.
PS I have just look at the forecast for tomorrow (Tuesday). Heavy rain and 40 mph wind. Is this summer or what?
3 comments:
He probably said 4 minutes and she assumed he would wait regardless of how long she took - which was probably a few minutes more.
I told one guy on Sunday night that I would be back at the place I dropped him off in exactly 28 minutes time - going back the other way. Needless to say I was on time and no sign of him.
If we waited for everyone, we wouldnt have timetables, there comes a point where you think, I really have to go now - even when you see that poor woman trying to run for the bus.
But even so surely here husband would have got off once the bus was going to pull away.
My bet is hubby gave the driver a tenner to bugger off quick.
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