From the West To The East

Here I am almost two weeks into my new role in one of the poorer parts of the city. This move has coincided with the coldest part of the winter so far with temperatures struggling to get above freezing. At least I am not walking over the Moor with the wind whipping through me like previous years. So there are some positives.

I ‘m getting used to the travelling. I ‘m getting the bus to work (about ½ hour) and walking home (about 1hr 15 mins). I was thinking about cycling when the roads aren’t icy and the weather is a bit warmer but I’m going off this idea. It’s not the most scenic of routes to and from work – especially the other side of the city centre. The best route is along the river and then up but that adds a mile and a half to the journey. So I am thinking bus/walk/run combination.

I am still pissed off that it’s costing me almost £50 pcm to get to work after 20 years of not paying anything to get to my various offices. You remember that pay rise I was talking about here?. Well that’s gone in bus fares. But I do still have a job in a region where jobs are evaporating even in the public sector.

I have also learned some things about this city. Firstly, on my side of town not many white people seem to get the bus. Or rather not many white adults get buses. Not infrequently I am not just the only white adult on the bus into town I am the only white person (driver excepted) on the bus. The bus I get to work goes about half a mile from where I live but this is still a shock even for me living as I do in a very culturally diverse part of town. This supports my theory, that only poor people and students and schoolchildren use buses.

It's different though on the other side of town, still a number of black and Asian passengers but predominantly it’s white people using the service.

Secondly I have learned that Bus drivers are grumpy, even the women ones (of which there are a surprising number). The other day a poor student tried to pay his fare with a £20m note. The Bus driver exclaimed “£20 poond, at this time of the morning? Are ye mental?” This was admittedly funny but the tone and the language was probably not what Stagecoach expects from it drivers. They may need to invest in some enhanced customer service training for their staff.

To avoid similar scenes I make sure that I have the correct fare on me every day.

I have bought a 4 week pass after much consideration which gives me unlimited travel on all buses in the city and is transferable so my daughter can use it when I don’t need to. I may even investigate the opportunity of buying an annual pass through the Council.