Did you know that where you sit on the bus can define your personality?
Well that's according to Dr Tom Fawcett of Salford University who carried out an observational study last year. "We noted people's body language and whether there was any interaction with other passengers, if they were sociable or withdrawn or even anti-social," he said.
In brief, he divided the passengers into seven categories based on where they sat and they were deemed to be either forward thinking, rebellious types, gregarious meeters-and-greeters, independent thinkers, strong communicators, risk takers and chameleons.
I had always wondered about this. In the North, they are back seat sort of people. Whether you go to a funeral, church service, school nativity play, or on any bus, the seats at the back are usually taken first. I don't know what Dr Fawcett would make of this strong behavioural pattern?
So tonight's trip was no different. The staff of the outward bound centre were going on their annual piss up to the 'Party City'. Though the bus was only half full, the first visible passenger was in Seat 26 or 27. They were a good crowd though. Well behaved and with a good sense of fun. It's makes the long wait into the wee hours more bearable when you know the passengers will be at the right place at the prescribed pick-up time. 3am meant 3am.
"Candice has brought her own plastic bag this year," said the organiser. "It's good because she threw up last year." That was consoling, particularly as I looked in my interior mirror to see candice and others pouring some vicious anti-freeze blue coloured vodka alcopop down their throats. The men were more traditional with 24 packs of Australian beer.
I dropped them off in the centre, parked the bus at 8pm and checked over my pillow and sleeping bag in preparation for the seven hour wait.
I'm a retired vicar, and often found people, particularly those who did not attend regularly, sat at the back for funerals, etc, partly out of a fear of being embarrassed at standing when they should be sitting, etc, and partly from not wanting to appear committed. They could then keep their options open, and participate in as little or as much, as they felt comfortable.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure where that leaves bus passengers. When I was young, I liked the front seats so I could pretend I was driving - now I'm 6'2" I head for the back seats, where there's usually more leg-room!