My first encounter with a city bus
Hey everyone!
Many have been asking me why I don't post more "blog" posts about myself, although I don't really have too much exciting stuff going on this one story came to me about the time I moved into the city to study in the university and was about to use the City bus for the first time.
I had been living there for a week already, during the weekend I was visiting my parents and there were still some items left there that didn't make it during the move. I decided to carry them all with me since I would be getting from one bus onto the other in the city and to my apartment. There was my laptop in one duffel bag and some other medium heavy items in the others, in total 4 bags. The bus ride into the city took an hour and a half but just as we entered the city it started to rain. I had checked the location of the bus stop and I wasn't too worried about the rain since I knew it was pretty close by.
I got off the bus, started carrying the bags for a good 200 meters and waiting for the city bus that was supposed to arrive in a few minutes, they usually go quite often as their route is pretty short. It arrived in time and as I jumped in I asked the driver how much it costs to get to location X, he tells me €3,50 and I take out my debit card and as I'm handing it over to him he quickly tells me I can't pay with that. Panic suddenly kicks in as I started looking for coins in my wallet. I empty them all on the counter and as he's counting them he tells me I'm short €0,15, pushes them into his other hand and hands them over to me. I just look at him and ask him if he can make an exception since I literally have 4 bags with me and its raining outside, he just shakes his head and points at the door. Having already wasted a lot of time I just go out and watch the bus take off.
"This went well" I think to myself. Wondering what my next steps should be I quickly google where the nearest ATM is and of course its way too far on the other direction to make it worth the walk. I try and brainstorm what I can do. "I have a recyclable bottle with me!" as quick as my hopes got up from getting that extra €0,15 I needed they went away just as fast realizing its Sunday and past 6 pm which meant that no store was open. "Okay, what other options do I have" I started walking towards my destination while thinking things over, I couldn't help but notice the rain was pouring down even harder now. I was getting worried about the duffel bag not holding the rain that much and my laptop taking water damage.
"I'll just walk to the next bus stop, the shorter distance from there has to drop the price low enough for me to buy that ticket!" I thought, I even decided to skip the next one and go to the one after that just to be sure. The bus stops were quite frequent, maybe half a kilometer in between and I knew the buses came around at least once every 30 minutes. My equipment was starting to feel pretty heavy as I finally made it to the second bus stop. I sat down exhausted and took out my phone to check when exactly the next bus was supposed to arrive, then I looked into some more info and realized that the cost of the ticket didn't differentiate from the distance, it was a ticket that was valid for a couple hours instead. I had walked for a kilometer with over 30 kilograms of weight all for nothing and the rain didn't look like it was wearing off any time soon.
Feeling quite tired and hopeless I decided my last attempt to be a bit different. I had recently visited Helsinki and used the Subway there which had this system of buying a ticket and then getting on but my friend told me that the person in charge of checking up on the tickets usually never got on so many often never bought one and played with the odds of not getting caught. Alright, I'll just try that, I thought.
The bus arrived, in the meantime a couple other people had arrived at the bus stop and a lady with a stroller as well. The two guys went directly for the door as I was picking up my bags and feeling really nervous as if I'm about to break into a bank. I go for the door in the back of the bus and helped out the lady to lift the stroller up and then went for my bags again before I got on. I take a seat all nervously and wait for the bus to drive off.
It doesn't.
I look up and notice the driver looking into his mirror straight to my direction, I couldn't really make out if it was at me but then I noticed him waving his arm so I leave the bags at my seat and go towards him. As I get closer I notice its the same driver that denied me last time... Already feeling really embarrassed I ask him if it is cheaper now that I'm closer to the location even though I knew the answer. He returns a quick "nope" and I'm like "is there really nothing you can do? It's raining heavily, I have a laptop in my bags and still got over 4 kilometers to walk, I'm 15 cents short, man!", he just looks at me and says "not my problem, sorry".
I go back for my bags and get off the bus and start walking, the feeling of embarrassment, frustration and worry about my laptop getting ruined over me makes the road feel a lot longer than just four kilometers. The heavy bags didn't help much either. I decided to take off my coat and cover the bag with the laptop with it just in case it would help versus the rain even a little bit.
As I finally arrive at my apartment I just throw the bags in a corner, take out the laptop which seemed to have gotten some water on it and put it on the table close to the window which I leave open hoping it will dry the rest of possible water inside of it. I was completely soaked and jumped in the shower real quick, as soon as I get out I notice the rain had stopped. What a great day this has been. Thankfully my laptop didn't seem to have suffered any damage, I couldn't wait too long before I tested if it went on hoping it was dry enough.
The next day I went to the ATM in the morning close to my apartment and lifted a €50 just to make sure I'd have money for the rest of the week for the damn bus and as I get on it it seemed as if my luck had finally turned. It was the same driver from yesterday and as I hand him the €50 he looks at it and says "its too early in the morning for me to have change for that" I look at him straight in the eyes and tell him "that's not my problem". He returns the 50 to me with a frown and closes the door behind me so I just make my way to a seat and start believing in karma.
I learned that week that you can order a card for the city bus and use it as many times as you like for just €50 a month, didn't get a similar problem in the future anymore but I also learned that the inconvenience of not being able to pay with your card or have enough of change on you can be really brutal in some situations.
This is an amazing story worthy to be screened :) karma is a bitch, but i can not get some people... it did not cost the bus driver anything more to give you a lift for that 15cents you were short, in fact the company would still get revenue, which in that case it did not get at all... That is why probably that bus driver will spend the rest of his days driving a bus.
On the other hand.. who knows, how it works in that company, maybe he would have risked his job for this small discount he has made and leave his family without the income, in which case you could sort of justify his actions.
I do not know what is wrong with humankind in general, but something is really off.. That alienation is happening in all the spheres. Neighbors do not say "Hi" to each other anymore even though living in the same apartment building, and everybody seems so ignorant. But that does not help any of us.
It is not something that happens occasional, there is a psychological term for that Bystander effect. Which says that people are less likely to help each other when there are other people nearby, and cry for help is usually left unanswered because everybody is thinking that somebody else will help. There are cases of people dying on the street of a heart attack and similar, just because people were by passers.
There are a few tricks that help in these situations, and in case something like this happens to you (certainly hope it does not) and you are in need of desperate help, try to get help by establishing eye contact, point finger at somebody in particular or make a verbal description of a person you are trying to address. Studies have shown that this increases chance of assistance by more than 90%.
hello, we meet again here, how are you?
OMG what a tough bus driver. If I was your bus driver, I would totally let you on! I mean 4 bags plus rain... that sucks! :(
I'm glad your laptop didn't get damaged.
On the bright side, you probably got a good workout! :)
thats the good story
I've had fun with the city bus too, like the time I had to walk 5 miles because my route didn't run after 2 pm on Saturdays. Learned that lesson real quick.
Oh the shame of trying to steal a ride on the bus.
Haha, that happened to me once as well. Partying in the city and just that day they had changed the times so my bus had stopped going an hour earlier, it also rained that time. I seem to have a good timing with those. :P
Outside of a few massive headaches, I love public transportation. They can drive and I can work on something else.
Oh man that really unlucky. First the rain, then being short of change, and then finding the same rude driver again... what a douchebag
Loved how you gave him some of his own medicine... "that´s not my problem" ahaha epic.
Good read bro!
Sorry you went through that! I would have given you your fare if I was there.
:)
why not simply asking someone for the missing 15 cents ??
I did look around at one point before I got off the bus and noticed everyone look away. xD
at least they looked away... LOL. I've been in embarrassing situations when the buggers just stare at you instead of helping :'(
That's a good question.
No it doesn't work like that in Finland.
wow, such a story! It seems an adventure in the jungle, but sometimes the life in the city maybe harder than in a jungle ;) Yes, the karma worked well :D
Dude I've been in similar situations with rain here and bus drivers will often let you on for free. Some of them will even offer if you are walking in the rain... but that depends on the driver. Some people are just douchebags. Tap for debit cards would be great here on buses.
Many things to learn and be prepared for, but also what makes life interesting and exciting as well, because now you had a story that captivated many people.
And earn some sweet sweet steem!
Ughh I was waiting for someone to give you the fucking 15 cents. Like, seriously? The bus driver, such an ass! But if there were bystanders, they weren't much better.
Its Finland. xD
...same here...to damn proud. People would rather bite their hand off then asked....but then again. I am almost sure, someone would offer on its own....at least i would. I dont drive on buses much, but did offer a few cents to someone in the store before. He didnt want them tho...rather returned the item....to much pride in ppl. :) Its a damn few cents....
Wow that guy was cold! If he ever gets on steemit, downvote him by 15 cents.