Saturday 2 April 2011

Unseemly Rush For The Front Of The Queue

What is the difference between an English bus driver and a continental bus driver?

Many things, which would take an age to explain. Predominately you must look at the attitudes to bus drivers in both places. On the continent the bus driver is seen as an esteemed professional and therefore acts accordingly. In England, because the industry is run on a shoestring and often bus drivers are viewed as being the lowest of the low, there is a temptation for some juvenile behaviour.

I saw it yesterday on a school run.

As I approached a junction to turn into the school, three buses from the same company approached from the opposite direction. I watched the drivers' determined faces, as they were desperate to beat me to the front of the queue. I let them have their moment of triumph. It didn't worry me - they would only gain thirty seconds. Simple pleasures for small minds.

"Oh yes," said the courier later when I told her, "they are terrible. Do you know, last week a driver got to the front of the queue ahead of them and they harassed him and made him move off and join the back of the queue. Pathetic."

Of course, if you pay peanuts.......

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