My London Bus Experience

On a recent trip to the English capital, I was once again reminded of how crucial it is to maintain a sense of perspective.

I live in The Hague; a large town, from a Dutch perspective. When I’m strutting through the city centre, with its diverse dining options, luxury shops, and the sound of different languages from all over the world, I sometimes can’t help but feel like I’m in the epicentre of the universe.

However, compared to London, my town pales. London is one of the few truly cosmopolitan cities in Europe. Everytime I step off the train, plane or bus onto its swinging streets, my perception of The Hague shifts and I come to the realisation that it’s no more than a glorified provincial town.

From a European point of view, London’s proportions are enormous. With nearly 10 million people residing in its 32 boroughs, covering an area of 1569 square kilometres, it’s the biggest city in Western Europe. Within its limits, you will find a plethora of neighbourhoods which suit all tastes, from the trendy Camden Town to the upscale Kensington area. In London, you will never be bored, as famously stated by the Oscar Wilde quote: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.”

It’s a wondrous city, but to outsiders like myself, its immense size can be overwhelming at times. Luckily London is blessed with its convenient and iconic transit system. Not only does it enable individuals to move swiftly and independently throughout the grand metropolis, it also helps visitors to make sense of the maze of boroughs, neighbourhoods, squares and parks.

I have had the pleasure of visiting London on multiple occasions before my most recent trip. During my previous visits, I had travelled on underground trains through tube shaped tunnels all around the city. The underground had always been the most convenient method of transportation for me, as it provided quick point-to-point connections that were well-suited for the distances I needed to travel.

In addition, the iconic Tube had enchanted me with its enigmatic character. The peculiarly named lines, the odd-sounding station names, the famous map and the legendary announcements such as: “Mind the gap between the train and the platform” all made my geeky heart beat faster.

But on my latest visit, the railways disappointed me. I realised that travelling underground prevented me from finding my bearings in the city. I could merely imagine the mysterious places passing above me: Swiss Cottage, St. John’s Wood, Baker Street… I had the feeling I was missing out.

On all my prior trips to London, I had never taken the bus, which is quite shameful, I must admit. The red double-decker buses are an integral part of the cityscape, and with 700 routes and 19,000 stops, they reach every corner of the British capital. So on this visit, I decided to take a leap and try the bus for a change.

One Tuesday afternoon, I found myself in Kentish Town, needing to get to King’s Cross. I consulted Google Maps and gladly concluded that the bus was a solid option for this journey. I made my way to the nearest bus stop, where I found a very diverse bunch of people patiently awaiting the arrival of their respective lines.

As I still had to wait for six minutes for bus line 46, I decided to take a seat on one of the benches at the bus stop. While absentmindedly watching the passing traffic, an elderly couple arrived and I courteously stood up to offer them my seat. They politely declined but expressed their gratitude in the typical British fashion.

After a delay of two minutes, line 46 majestically appeared on the horizon. I hopped on, tapped-in with my contactless bank card and said my greetings to the driver, which he blatantly ignored.

While riding the tube, I always felt a sense of hostility from my fellow commuters. No one paid attention to each other, conversations were rare, and everyone seemed to be absorbed in some form of distraction. However, on this bus, the atmosphere was completely different. As soon as I entered, people looked up and took notice of me. Throughout the ride, passengers were enjoying themselves, engaging with each other, or gazing out of the window lost in thought.

As I was about to climb up the stairs to the top deck of the bus, it began to move, and for safety reasons, I chose to remain on the lower deck for my first bus ride in London. I held onto one of the yellow handles and greeted the people sitting nearby with a nod, who responded with friendly smiles.

A conversation between a young man and an elderly gentleman caught my attention. Despite the fact that I could barely hear what they were discussing, it was intriguing to see two strangers from different generations engaging in a lively conversation. It made me reflect on the power of finding common ground and connecting with strangers.

After several stops, a woman occupying the section of the bus reserved for disabled passengers arrived at her destination. She tried to get the driver’s attention to request the ramp be lowered and enable her to smoothly disembark with her wheelchair, but to no avail. Suddenly, a woman sitting at the back of the bus yelled out with a distinct Cockney accent, “Driver, please lower the ramp!”.

Nothing happened — the driver did not react, the bus had become dead quiet and the disabled woman was struggling to alight. The stillness was suddenly interrupted by the penetrating sound of the woman with the Cockney accent, shouting even louder, “Is this driver thick or something? lower the ramp!”

For the first time the driver reacted: “It’s not working!” To which the Cockney woman replied, “Come help her get off, then!” Now the rest of the passengers started getting involved. “I’m going to be late for work!” one of them yelled, while another one quietly sighed: “Where has this country gone?”

Unlike the Cockney woman, the other passenger put their frustration to work and tried to help the disabled woman get off the bus, when the door suddenly closed. One man had gone outside to carry her wheelchair out of the bus and was left on the street. Now the whole bus was raging against the driver, who replied with: “Everyone sit down, we have to get going!”

Suddenly, as the roaring engine was announcing the imminent departure of line 46, a fine young gentleman got up and opened the door back up, using the emergency switch. While the alarm was roaring, he and the man who had been locked out carried the wheelchair from the bus onto the street. The disabled woman rode off into the sunset, the whole bus started clapping and the woman with the cockney accent praised the heroes at the top of her lungs.

The driver had to get up now to manually close the door, which he was visibly displeased about, but nevertheless did. The bus departed again. Gradually, with every passing stop, the bus became emptier and emptier. All of the departing passengers made friendly gestures to the remaining ones and gave the driver a disapproving glance, except for the Cockney woman who, upon leaving, yelled out: “Thank you, driver,” in the most sarcastic tone imaginable.

Finally, the bus arrived at King’s Cross Station. I alighted and walked down the busy Euston Road. I started thinking about what had just happened.

It was heartening to see a group of strangers from diverse backgrounds come together to help a fellow passenger in need. In a country that often feels deeply divided, this display of solidarity was unexpected and inspiring.

My ride on bus line 46 altered my perspective of London and enriched my view of British culture. ‘How wonderful it is, that we’re all just a bus ride away from finding a friend,’ I thought, as I walked down Euston Road, in a city which seemed just a little less cold, a little less big, a little less overwhelming.

Originally published on Medium: https://medium.com/@svdt50_80086/my-london-bus-experience-740e55b42546