DeeKnow’s Grotto

Still haven't had a chance to get the bloody muffler bracket fixed on my Kwaka so had to choose between exercising to work or taking the bus. The later option was a no-brainer given how I was feeling at 8:00am.

Took the 8:30 TeRapa bus into the transfer station and sat around waiting for the Uni bus departure. I was the only passenger left so started to wonder if the Uni service was even running given that its summer school at the moment and there aint many students about. But just as I was about to give up a portly Mâori gentleman in bus-drivers attire appeared walking down the concourse towards me and the empty bus.

I was saved a $10 taxi fare after all.

Took me ticket and figured that as we were gonna be the only people on that big bus I might as well sit up the front. Always cracks me up seeing a massive bus rumble by with one passenger on-board whose chosen to sit right down the back. The driver was a hard case bloke. We chatted non-stop the whole journey, actually he did most of the talking. Turns out he used to be a trucker but found it a bit lonely and prefered buses coz it was much more sociable. No Kidding !! :-)

Funny how us antipodeans insist on talking to our public transport operators. Yesterday I listened to a podcast interview the GDayWorld.com lads had with Doc Searls and Doc says to them in the intro 'I like the way in Australia its PC to sit up front and talk with the Cab drivers'. I'm well known for chewing the ear of cabbies on the way home from town late at night, but I rekcon most kiwis are reasonable happy chatting with 'em.

Another funny kiwi/aussi-ism is the way we thank the bus driver. On the way in from TeRapa this morning I reckon at least every second person said 'thankyou driver' as they disembarked. Jeeze we're a nice lot aye?

12:31:00 PM