Buzz

Today was like any other day. I got my office bus, and reached office, as usual. Fifteen minutes earlier. Checked all I had to do, when my friend dropped in to say “hi”. Among other topics we reached “traveling-to–office” by bus.

She: Own car is more convenient. For bus, you have to walk till the bus stop.
I: I don’t think so. Yes, you have to walk, but that is exercise, a real blessing in disguise.
She: What about the pollution?
I: Pollution? It is fresh air in the morning. Rather polluted, but with the greenery, I guess it is healthy.
She: Car is cool. You have A/C, and no dust.
I: A/C? It just circulates stale air.
She: Huh?
I: Here, you are in sync with environment.
She: I drive a Honda – Technology rides with environment #a haughty smile#
I : #a polite smile#
She: Lakshmi, don’t you think you are wasting time?
I : How?
She: Bus stops at various …
I: #interrupt# It makes you punctual. #smile #. It did that to me.
She: You rush in mornings
I: Agreed, but I reach office a bit early, so that I can get plan my work for the day, before I start. And at evenings too, I get out on time.
She: Umm…#a long drawn out assertion, after what I suppose was a careful reflection#

Now I have the ground all to myself, and I decide to list out the other advantages of coming by bus.

I: You know what, coming by bus is really good. In the morning you get up at the same time. Plan well; so that you catch the bus. Walking to the stop gives you a bit of exercise. Make a few friends in the bus stop…
She interrupted me.
She: Oh, so you have other colleagues in the bus stop!
I: Yes, but also many others..
She raised her eyebrows. Knowing me, she knew, I don’t talk to strangers. She was waiting, for a clarification, or so I thought.
I: Its not like we start being friends from day one. It’s a slow process. Many people from other companies in Technopark; once in the public space, technoparkians are brothers and sisters. #smile with a twinkle in my eye# So you watch out for their cabs, and they keep a look out for yours.
She: #Smiled# oh I see…
I: Yeah and then, when I just miss the bus they say, it just left, or when I am late and wonder if I missed bus - noticing my worried and confused look - they reassure me saying, it hasn’t left yet. Strangers? Acquaintances? They don’t know my name, I don’t know theirs. But the buses bond us. I see them, I feel happy. They see me, they feel happy. They may not even talk, but through non verbal cues, we help each other.
She: yeah, so true…
I: Then my bus-stop friends; we talk; not about home or politics. Usually it is about the kids in the bus-stop, the other commuters, the overloaded, old and dilapilated CET and Medical College buses and the deluxe private Engineering College buses and so on.
She is visibly impressed. #Smile#
She: You are so observant!
I: No, it happens with everybody. And in the bus too, we have our favourite seats. The person sitting next to us, becomes our friend. If I don’t see her, I miss her, and vice versa. Ask what happened to her.
She: That is just courtesy. They don’t really care for you.
I: Are you sure? Maybe. But don’t you feel good, if someone asks you where you were? What happened? Sometimes you might be the only one who asked. Anyways I do it all the time.
She: Do they answer?
I: Well, it depends. Sometimes, they do. Sometimes they don’t. But I am sure they love it. After all I don’t pry, nor do I force an answer.
She: And then?
I: Then what?
She: It’s really interesting. So what else do you find interesting?
I: If you look out of the window, it’s interesting. The bus seats are higher. So you get a better outside view. You can see beyond the compound walls, the neatly manicured gardens of houses, the many flower beds, grandpas reading newspapers in the sit-outs. The swings, slides and merry-go-rounds in kids’ playschools. You can read the hoardings. You can see the face of the city changing. Can I really see and enjoy all these if I am driving?
She: So true. Now I feel like I am missing something. #A confused look, with a hint of sadness. #
I: You sure are! #smile# My bus almost always has the music on.
She: Even the car has, and you can choose the song you want to play. Don’t have to listen to somebody else’s favourites.
I: True.
And she had a triumphant smile on her face. But I knew better. #smile#
I: True, you can select your songs. But sometimes it is refreshing to listen others’ favourites. In the car, while driving, I don’t think about the song or the lyrics, I don’t even feel the song. I can’t afford to. While driving, I concentrate on the road. But here, I just let go. Listen to the song, the lyrics, and see them in my mind’s theatre.tography in mind. Its exhilarating.
As I was saying, I was also imagining/ reliving that feeling. #smile# Well, I guess she too imagined. Had a dreamy look in her eyes, and she mumbled something.
I: um?
She: Its so romantic.
I: Well it is #smile#
She: So tell me more.
I : You want more!?
She: I sure do.
I: While we are on the topic, you can add to the romance. You can listen to your favorite piece in mobile/ipod too. But the best is when you have a book to read. Be it on any subject. The bus is the best place to read. You can really absorb the book.
She: How? With so much distraction, and breaks
I: See, when I start reading, nothing distracts me. I am in no hurry. So I read, reflect, and because I get so little time in the bus, I read in bits and pieces, which means, I do think about what I read. Reading for leisure, I feel is at its best while traveling.
She: I should try that. #a pregnant pause# But if you read in the bus, how come you said you talked and made friends?
I: It is no compulsion. Some days I don’t feel like reading. Some days I don’t feel like socializing. Some days I feel like making a phone call, typing out a message, dreaming about someone, catching up some sleep…
She: You do all that in a bus?
I: Is there something in the list that you find difficult to do? Even you must have done all these.
She: #after much contemplation# Guess, you are right. I never thought as much. I should say your thinking process is so good.
After a minute of thought, she said
She: You know what, Laks. All the times you said, you enjoyed coming by bus, I thought the real reason was, car costs too much , and burned a hole in your pocket. Now I know.
I: Car costs. Bus is reasonable. But no one is compelling me. There is no driver’s tension. I still take my car once a week, and I enjoy the drive. It isn’t routine.
And before we knew, we were laughing and saying “Routine is boring!”
She: If the Govt. just gave so many reasons for car pooling and using mass transportation, people would have resorted to it, rather than simply talking about pollution and fuel. Why don’t you run a campaign?
I: #smile#


Copyright © 2008 Lakshmi R.S. All rights reserved