Naar School..

One of the great things about being an adult is that you can share your carbon footprint with the whole world by getting from a to b in your car. Let's face it, it's a human right and one I will defend to my dying breath!...ahem, sorry about that, I got a bit carried away...So imagine my pleasure at having to take the bus into Antwerp twice a week. Don't get me wrong, I like buses. I really like buses, especially Belgian buses. They bend in the middle. Going off on a slightly connected tangent here but I personally think it's great that the Belgians were allowed to keep their bendy buses when we English couldn't keep our bendy bananas(if you haven't been reading the blog then you will wonder what the hell I'm going on about!). Ok then, we've established that I like buses. I just dont like to travel in them. The British think there is something slightly exotic and mysterious about buses on the continent, this is mostly to do with the fact that they run on time. Unfortunately, it's only when you get on a Belgian bus that you realise that they were made for children...or maybe the Chineese...because it is near impossible to squeeze 2 adults into one double seat. Luckily, there are single seats dotted throughout the bus and next to each single seat is a small sign which I think says 'please give up this seat to an Englishman'. I don't think I'm the only person to hate the seats on the buses because on the route I take it's quite common to see more people standing than sitting and often there is an intresting game taking place of people swapping seats when one is vacated. It didn't take me too long before I realised that the prime seats were actually situated on the turntable which makes the bus bend in the middle. These are quite often left empty and I discovered why the first time I sat in one. The movement of the bus when it turns, if you are not prepared for it, makes your brain shout 'WRONG' and leaves you feeling light headed and woozy for a second! Once you get used to it it's fine and those seats are a great place to watch people try to get to a safe place place before the bus starts moving. It' a bit like watching a Japanese game show sometimes, peoples coordination goes all over the place and it's not unusual to have someone end up in your lap!
I could go on, and I will! Does the bus have to stop at every bloody bus stop? Why do people get on the bus only to get off the next stop? Why do teenage boys think the rest of the bus want to listen to Puffing Daddy or 50 Pence blaring out of their phones? Occasionally I can hear something that is either Arabic music or a Muslim call to prayer, not sure which...could be both. Buses, I hate them!