43 days since my last………

I am reminded that it is now 43 days since my last blog post, so apologies for committing the social media faux pas and failing to notify my followers of my time out of action. Rain has fallen for the vast majority of those days and it is only now that the sun is back out that I am back on the blogging scene. A fair weather blogger in every sense.

After 20 years of working in Bath, I have changed jobs to now work in Bristol at Barcan Woodward Solicitors. My commute to and from work has taken on new excitement as I experience the Park & Ride option.

I was a Park & Ride virgin and had no idea that most road rage happens on these buses or in the car parks. I turned up first day and queued with the rest, nobody talking, all tuned in to mobile devices.

The great British tradition of queueing ensured that the late arrivals stood in the rain despite there being plenty of room under the shelter but it would mean that may be pushing in!

The journey in was non eventful but I was not prepared for the trip home. As I stood for the bus, the queue was forming in three separate areas, the reason for which became clear as the long bendy buses have three entrances.

Some pushing and shoving later and I was on. I stood holding on to a handrail opposite one of the doors. Three more stops later and my personal space was considerably invaded by a ruck sack, three Sainsbury’s shopping bags and a lady who parked herself next to me.

As we arrived at the Park & Ride the fun began where those in seats fished out keys and began making their way towards the door, those near the doors edged even closer to them. The driver familiar with the routine did his best to skittle a few by kangarooing to a stop.

The doors were open and they were off, no courtesy in letting others off, every person for themselves as the sprint was on to carefully parked and positioned cars so that they could exit before the other 70 passengers on the bus.

The two lane exit became a bottleneck with cars coming from all angles as quickly as they could for pole position, nobody looking at others but being edged an inch closer to the one in front. Then the traffic lights changed and we were off. It took me five minutes to get out but for the majority of those minutes I was smiling at others’ behaviour.