Commute

Other things I have noticed on my commute from west to east across this small city. This morning for example my side of town had freezing rain falling on a sheet of ice across the roads and pavements both of which made walking to the bus stop very tricky. Half an hour later I disembark the bus for my short walk to the office. Yes it’s still raining but no sign of any ice at all. My father-in-law used to work along the road from my new location and I remember he was always amazed that he could battle through snow and ice from the west to get to work only to find that there was no snow or ice in the east. I don’t know why this is the case- nearer the sea maybe? I have also noticed how quickly you get used to the rhythm and pace of public transport. I know that before my bus comes (somewhere between 6 minutes and 10 minutes past 8) there will be the Scholars Bus packed with kids off to schools ( “All Passengers Welcome” it says on the scrolling display but I’m thinking you’d have to be mad to get on a bus full of school kids). Then the single decker 32 comes along just before the double decker bus I get on. The crowd (it isn’t a queue) starts to shuffle forward , the person at the front of the crowd may or may not want my bus, you can feel everyone getting nervous. Are they going to put out their arm to flag it down or not? Will I have to do it? If I don’t do it will my bus stop or go past? A little bit of tension every morning. I have started to notice how many fellow passengers have headphones in. There are the , usually, young ones with the giveaway white headphones that come with IPods. At least I am assuming that is the case because otherwise why would you wear white headphones? Then there are the normally older passengers like me who have in ear black headphones in. Not too conspicuous we could be listening to Radio 4 or the latest Dubstep tunes. Today there were a couple of young lads with the over ear DJ type headphones on over their beanie hats. They got off in Town so judging by the way they were dressed they worked there. Why would you wear headphones like that in public? Maybe they are those noise cancelling ones and they wear them so they can listen to their choice of music in splendid isolation. Passengers who don’t wear headphones tend to talk. Very loudly. Then there are the kids who get on in the east every day being taken to school by their Mam. She shouts at them and every day at least one of them is crying. Luckily they get on only a few stops before I get off so I turn up the volume and John Humphries's sonorous Welsh tones or James Naughtie’s harsher Scottish sounds drown them out. I am listening to Radio 4 or 5 or Radio Newcastle on my commute rather than my MP3 on shuffle, I don’t know why this it just seems more right. I tried 6music but it didn’t feel the same and Keaveney irritated me. On my walk home in the evening I do listen to 6Music and Steve Lamacq. It seems that I can concentrate more on the music when I am walking. I haven’t relaxed enough on the morning bus journey to do so yet.