All types of people

This week is a little better than last mainly because I haven't had to go through Keynsham with its seemingly non stop roadworks. I don't know if it is the councils intention to kill the town off but that seems to be the result. Anyway, back to the title. I have been keeping a mental note of all the different types of people I have had on the bus this week. here are some of them.

• The lady who had no idea where she was
• The gent in the wheelchair who was profoundly disabled.
• The woman who despite me leaving from the correct bay at the correct time still shouted and chased me down the bus station for leaving from the wrong bay.
• The rather drunk man who asked, nicely, if he could bring his can on the bus.
• The rather sad man who spent the journey telling me how his life had fallen apart.
• The school child who suddenly remembered she had forgotten her bag.
• The deaf gent.
• The gent who stormed off the bus after a poor lady had a coughing fit complaining about the germs.

I could go on but this is just a snap shot of the types of people I interacted with every day. they all need to be treated in a different manner. So the next time you get on a bus spaare a thought for the driver and think of the skills they need and use every day. And that is before they drive the bus.

A pants week

Finally at the end of a week of earlies. That is 0615, which is not that early but since my little illness I have found early shifts very difficult. Anyway they have not really been a problem and I have not been left with the overwhelming tiredness I have become used to over the last couple of years.
What has spoiled the week has been the almost constant 'late running'. It seemed at times that I was never running a service on time. This obviously upset the passengers and me and although I can claim for overtime and submit 'loss mileage'  forms to show why I have not completed a journey, after a week it has begun to show and I have got a little upset and angry. Bit stupid really when some of the delays are caused by roadworks and other external factors. However, some have been caused by insufficient time being given to complete the trip, and it seems at times that those producing the timings are a a little out of touch with the real world and this is something the passengers pick up on,fortunately most realise it is not the drivers fault. This week has however taken me back to when I was a field support engineer, as soon as I had a problem reported to me I would always go and have a look for myself, something that obviously is not happening to running times. Anyway, off tomorrow so a relaxing day and a bit of time with God and then back to work and hopefully a little more enjoyable than this week.

The Race card

One thing I pride myself on is that I try and treat everyone I meet the same. As such I have had only one (that I can remember) incident where some has said 'it's because I am (insert colour, race gender)' Anyway today I had the second. I spotted a car driving fast through the bus station, this is not unusual especially on Saturday as Sat Navs still show the old road layout. What is unusual is to see said same vehicle heading back at speed the wrong way behind the reversing buses and heading for the entrance with an approaching bus. I shouted, loudly and the lady stopped. She then got out and said she did not understand the road signs and was new to the country. I pointed out perhaps she should spend some time learning the signs etc, before driving. The inspector got her turned round to head the correct way out the station. It was at this point she called me a racist.and that I should give her type some space. At this point I finally noticed she was driving what appeared to be her car, a UK registered one. So bottom line, if stopping someone causing an accident makes me a racist. I plead guilty! Please if you do fall in to this category, please never use the race card unfairly or use it as a weapon.