Christmas Gone

Well Christmas has come and gone once again. Perhaps it was the fact that I spent much of November in Australia some how shortened the run up to Christmas. Even though there were signs directing the shoppers towards Christmas shopping as I wandered aimlessly round the CBD of Sydney it didn't feel like Christmas when the temperature was in the high twenties.

Anyway I thought it was a quiet Christmas for which I am grateful. My most memorable passengers over the holiday were the couple that got on at Lydl's up at Lowes Bridge. They got on with about 4 plastic bags full of food for the traditional turkey stuffing we in England are famous for at this time of year. They wanted Torr Station which must be about a mile down the road into Torquay. The fare is £1.35 each so I wanted £2.70. The reaction I got suggested they thought this a little over the top. They would sooner walk. Well much as I hate to lose a passenger I avoided being drawn into verbal fisticuffs. Years ago I might have come up with some witty remark but I have mellowed in my middle age and smiled sweetly and as they got of I annulled the tickets I had just issued. I then served the 4 or 5 other people who were waiting to board the bus. Then, surprise, surprise. While the other passengers had been boarding the couple had worked out how far they were going to have to walk and how long their arms would be with 4 plastic bags of food stretching every muscle all the way down to Torre Station. Now years ago I would have made a witty, sarcastic, cutting remark as I sold them, for a second time their tickets down to Torre. But I don't do that sort of thing anymore and I am out of practice and couldn't think of anything in time. When they got off one of the couple pointed out that the fare into town from the stop was only 65 pence so why was it so much to go to Lydl's. Well, ever helpful I pointed out that I didn't set the fares, I only collect them. But very politely.

My most memorable driver was the young lady in Union Street. She was waiting to reverse into a parking place and I was going slowly having just pulled of a bus stop so I slowed to let her go back. As she did she moved out of my way so I started to drive past. There was a big space but she made a bit of a hash of it and didn't turn the wheel enough and suddenly shot forward without regard for the fact that an eleven ton bus was moving slowly past her. I stopped at once, right next to her and about 2 inches away and watched with a small amount of horror as she struggle to get the car into reverse. When she did she still didn't seem to know I was next to her and started to move back turning the wheel frantically. Now the drivers amongst you will know that when you go back with full lock on the front of the car will swing out violently. And I am only 2 inches away from her. The screaming on the bus was mercifully drowned out by me putting my finger on the little button on the end of the indicator arm. This produces a very loud noise which makes all nearby car drivers press hard on their brake pedal and the young lady stopped while I drove off with visions of an accident report form receding in the distance.

Only New Year to go.