Rolling Down the Avenue

Last week-end I had the pleasure of taking the bus. The city bus. I don't do this very often but from time to time I have a reason. It wasn't a very long trip and the route I took was well travelled so the service is quite good with a bus passing by about every six minutes.

The full fare for an adult on Winnipeg Transit is $2.30. This is quite affordable. The affordability of the bus lends itself to two things. It is not the most expedient travel but often there are some rather unique characters using the service.

For example, there was the guy sitting in front of me who became visibly upset when we missed the green light during a driver change. It's the bus. You can travel quickly or you can travel cheaply. You can't do both. The same guy became visibly upset when we missed another green light because an older lady took longer than normal to get onto the bus. It's the bus.

True to form there was a woman talking to herself the entire time she was on the bus. She was also sitting near me. The conversation was rather coherent and topical as she discussed with herself the merits of sitting or standing on the bus.

The bus makes for an incredible people watching experience. Since sitting and riding takes virtually no mental effort you can make up stories about the others you see on the bus.

If you are lucky enough to catch two people who know each other you can hear the most interesting conversations and get some insight into their lives. You will most likely never see these people again, however there is definitely some entertainment for you during your ride.

If you like to observe people and have some time hop on a bus. It could be funny, it could be sad, it could be annoying, or it could be uplifting. It will always be the bus.