So Day 1

On the way to work this morning I decide to sit on the top deck rather than being jostled and bumped by the standees on the lower deck when the bus is full to bursting. There must be something in the air today cos the whole top deck smells of cheap and not so cheap aftershave. I quickly choose to sit next to a rather smart looking man (shirt and tie) and I'm almost certain he gets off half way into my journey. Luckily he's a polite bloke and graciously gives up his hard won leg room, why don't bus interior designers measure the average blokes legs when sitting down and realise that they need more room than they give them! I really feel for them. I'm not short myself so I understand a little of their discomfort and always feel a bit guilty for encroaching on the badly needed space but it finally all pays off and he gets off the bus and I have 2 seats all to myself! I know it sounds like such a small thing but it's such a luxury in the morning.


Now the way back today was where this whole idea was born. As I approach the bus stop after leaving work I can see the queue is massive. This normally means there's been some hold up of traffic into the city. I'm in the lucky position of being able to catch 2 different buses when hubby's at work so as soon as the first bus I can catch turns up I rush for that ever growing queue hoping I'll be in time before the bus driver says, "Too full!"

I manage to get on the bus but there's only one seat left and I let a lady in her 60s take this. So I move as far to the back of the bus as I can expecting the other standees to do the same but no! For some reason the gaggle of girls that follow me on think it better that they congregate around the drivers cab, thus making the bus look fuller in the drivers eyes than it is and meaning no one can get on or off the bus without having to get very up close and personal with every one of them. Please don't tell me this is why they do this, there are much better ways of geting a cheap thrill! So off we go flying past the first few bus stops with people waiting because the driver thinks his bus is bursting but if I was talented enough I'd be able to do the highland fling! I decide to ignore the woman who jumps straight into the seat nearest me before the poor bloke has finished getting out of it and end up with the next available seat which is on the back seat.

Whilst sitting there I was trying to remember the last time I'd sat on the back seat of the bus and was mildly amused (if I don't chuckle about this stuff I'd end up in tears most nights) by the sight that must be in front of everyone else on the bus (if they cared to look). A petite blonde girl texting rapidly, me and the largest, tallest man I'd seen for a while. If anyone had cared to turn and look they would have been greeted with a staircase of height to beauty with me trying to bridge that gap and probably failing on both counts.

Whilst I was ponderng the image 2 seats together became available, and I was suddenly struck by the fact that I had no idea about the etiquette of the back seat!!! When you sit in the usual 2 seat position and your sitting next to a stranger and your in the aisle seat it is common practice to move once 2 seats together become available, but does this still stand when on the back seat? I wasn't sure so I sat it out and someone else inevitably moved there and I got off the bus.

Such is my half hour before and after work. I wonder what tomorrow will hold...