Some of you know this is Part 3 of a what has developed into a series. I have explained how I don't really have a strong desire to take a cruise. I then followed with how I really don't desire to take a train trip either.
I figure you might as well find out why I don't like buses either! :)
Besides the obvious, I was on a bus for 2 hours every day that I went to school K -12, so the excitement is not really there, there's also the experience that I've already had.
Picture if you will a cold December day. You're 20 and you are getting on a grey hound for the first time. You don't know what to expect. You almost feel excitement. I mean, this is a new experience after all! You sit in the terminal and wait for your bus. It arrives and you find yourself with a lot of others getting on a bus. The bus already has some passengers on it. You are headed home for a visit with your family. Most likely the last Christmas you'll have with your parents alone, since your boy friend has just asked you to marry him!
You sit down and by now you are getting a clear picture of the future. The trip in a car is 6 hours give or take a few minutes. You realize that the bus line is saying that it will be 12 hours later when you get to your destination. You are not thrilled. Then you look around. By this time your surroundings are sinking in and you begin to smell something. Oh yes. You know that smell. It's a smell that makes you want to throw up. You realize that the "gentleman" who (lucky you) chose to sit by you is not only a little on the hefty side he's also filled with aromas. They fill your senses up with his body Oder, oily hair and bless this man, you know he's not showered in a while. With his big toothless smile looking at you, you start to sink into the seat, hoping you don't have to touch him. But unlucky you--you do. He's sitting right next to you and you're stuck between him and the window. He's sitting close and you can smell the bad breath and as he turns to you, dread sinks in, he's a talker.
He tries again again to engage you in conversation between Springfield and St. Louis. It takes at least 5 hours to get to St. Louis and while you keep trying to pretend to sleep to get him to be quiet, he keeps bringing up different subjects to talk about. He's a nice enough man, but you are trying to not take deep breaths non the less.
You FINALLY get to St. Louis, your half way point. You have to wait in the station. The bus you were going to take needs some repair. You wait for the next bus. You get on and luckily there is a little more room, the previous gentleman is now gone and you get to sit alone. It's now late and you sleep for real this time. You are cramped in a tiny seat and there are loud people partying in the back of the bus, but you can ignore them--lots of practice from years on the school bus. You barely get to stretch your legs at the next stop and you realize as you pull into your destination that you have NO desire to EVER take a trip like that again. Especially when you finally pull into the bus stop and it's not at the location you were told it would end at. I don't remember how my ride found me, but I eventually got picked up. This was before cell phones, so I think I called home and they called home and between the two we ended up finding each other at the Hardees.
I got into the car with my dad and realized that while it's fun to have new experiences there are some I could do without!
5 comments:
Yeah, I think that would turn me off to buses as well. I'd have a hard time being that close to a smelly man for a long period of time, even if he is really nice.
that stinks. quite literally. : )
Maybe you should write a Dr. Suess type book. T will not go on a plane or a train. She will not go on a boat that floats. T will fuss if she rides on a bus. : )
I thought about that! But I like your words better then what I came up with, maybe you could be my ghost writer! :)
Hey tried to comment on several but the word verification was messed up. Sorry!
I think I won't try a bus based on your recommendation. My dad always said they arrive and depart in bad parts of town.
We did a cruise once. It was okay, to tell the truth it wasn't the sinking that bothered me. It was the tiny little stops places. I like to explore and it was like - here's this city to see, psych, you have to be back to the boat in one hour.
Too bad. I've had good luck and good times with all forms of transportation. I guess I am the one partying in the back.
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