Bus Stop Dilemma

5 Notes

For the last two weeks, my car has been sat in a couple of garages, waiting for parts so that it can be fixed (the windscreen wipers stopped working — don’t ask).

During that time, I’ve been getting the 7.45 a.m. bus to work, which means leaving home at about 7.30 — over 30 minutes earlier than normal.

But the thing is, I’ve got used to getting up earlier and actually quite enjoy it. I like that the bus is quiet, I like that the coffee shop isn’t as busy, and I like the quiet time at work before most other people arrive.

I like it so much that, when my car is fixed (which should be tomorrow sometime), I think I’m going to keep trying to leave home at about 7.30 a.m.

But there’s a problem.

Every day that I’ve got the bus in the last two weeks, there’s been another guy waiting at the bus stop when I get there. He’s an older guy, maybe 50, with short grey hair. He stands ramrod straight, looking straight across the road, waiting for the bus. He’s always there before me and, when I arrive, he greets me with a nod of the head and a hearty, “Morning,” which I return.

Soon, I’ll be driving to work and therefore driving past the bus stop at about the same time the bus usually shows up. Because he’s always there before me, I don’t know what time he arrives. So now I’m concerned that, if I start driving to work at the same time I have been leaving the house, there’s a good chance that I’m going to drive straight past him while he’s standing at the bus stop. Even though I’ve only ever said one word to him (actually, one morning I switched things up with an, “Alright?”), I feel like I know this guy now. I feel like I should stop and offer him a lift if I see him and that, if I don’t, it’s a spit in the face.

I mean, I know there’s no way I’m going to give him a lift. I hardly know the guy. That would just be weird. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to feel bad about it.

So now I’m thinking, what if he sees me drive past? What should I do if I see him as I’m driving towards the bus stop? Should I stare straight ahead as I drive past? Put my left arm up to hide my face? Pretend to be messing with the radio? Wear a hat and sunglasses? Or a mask?

Or compromise by slowing down next to him, winding down my window, and greeting him with a hearty, “Morning,” before driving off again?

I’ll probably do the radio thing.