I have to board 2 buses every day in the morning to reach office. I had a client meeting in the morning and when it ended it was very late. I was about to shut down my laptop when I noticed the second meeting that was scheduled in an hour. I hurriedly wrote an email to the meeting organizer explaining that I might not be able to attend the meeting. Sent a message to my manager to step in since I might be travelling and may not be able to attend the meeting.
I then rushed from home, caught the first bus that took me to the bus stand. From there I boarded another bus that would take me to my office. After I got my tickets, I realized that the second meeting would have started and thought it best to attend that meeting. I joined the audio bridge from my phone and plugged in my ear phones to my mobile phone. I was on mute most of the time and pitched in whenever they wanted my opinion or had asked me any queries.
There was a traffic signal before my destination bus stop. Usually the buses stop at the signal and some people get down while the signal is red. Well, we are talking about India and this is how things happen here :) Anyways I had no reason to get down before my stop. I was still attending the meeting with the ear phones on and the sun was blazing in the morning. The bus stopped at the signal and the driver had opened the door at the signal. A few people got down. I had moved near to the door and waited for the driver to stop at the bus stop. I was surprised when the driver did not stop and whizzed past the stop. When I asked the conductor, he just did not look at me. After asking him repeatedly, he told me - you missed the stop. I told him clearly that the stop just went past us and the bus did not stop.
He finally looked at me and said - "6 people got down, you just did not notice since you were listening to music having the ear phones on". I told him that those 6 people got down at the signal and not at the stop. I had bought the ticket for this particular stop and the bus ought to stop at that place. He again stared at me while the bus was still moving. I asked him to use the whistle and tell the driver to stop and open the doors. He looked at me as if I had made a mistake and then blew the whistle. The bus finally stopped and I had to walk all my way back to the bus stop in the blazing sun.
What I do in the bus is my business - whether I read a book or listen to music or talk to someone or just sit still is my right. And stopping the bus at the bus stop is the driver and conductor's business. The conductor made it look as if I had made a mistake all the while in not getting down at the signal and in putting on my ear phones. Phew, these people will never change.
I then rushed from home, caught the first bus that took me to the bus stand. From there I boarded another bus that would take me to my office. After I got my tickets, I realized that the second meeting would have started and thought it best to attend that meeting. I joined the audio bridge from my phone and plugged in my ear phones to my mobile phone. I was on mute most of the time and pitched in whenever they wanted my opinion or had asked me any queries.
There was a traffic signal before my destination bus stop. Usually the buses stop at the signal and some people get down while the signal is red. Well, we are talking about India and this is how things happen here :) Anyways I had no reason to get down before my stop. I was still attending the meeting with the ear phones on and the sun was blazing in the morning. The bus stopped at the signal and the driver had opened the door at the signal. A few people got down. I had moved near to the door and waited for the driver to stop at the bus stop. I was surprised when the driver did not stop and whizzed past the stop. When I asked the conductor, he just did not look at me. After asking him repeatedly, he told me - you missed the stop. I told him clearly that the stop just went past us and the bus did not stop.
He finally looked at me and said - "6 people got down, you just did not notice since you were listening to music having the ear phones on". I told him that those 6 people got down at the signal and not at the stop. I had bought the ticket for this particular stop and the bus ought to stop at that place. He again stared at me while the bus was still moving. I asked him to use the whistle and tell the driver to stop and open the doors. He looked at me as if I had made a mistake and then blew the whistle. The bus finally stopped and I had to walk all my way back to the bus stop in the blazing sun.
What I do in the bus is my business - whether I read a book or listen to music or talk to someone or just sit still is my right. And stopping the bus at the bus stop is the driver and conductor's business. The conductor made it look as if I had made a mistake all the while in not getting down at the signal and in putting on my ear phones. Phew, these people will never change.
