My annual eye checkup , each December , involves powerful eyedrops that make daylight painfully bright for a few hours till they wear off . I always have to get there by bus since , even wearing dark glasses , I can't open my eyes without being dazzled .
So this morning , I jump on the 32 for the hospital , congratulating myself on being in plenty of time . Bus driver greets us all with a cheery smile , waits for a puffing latecomer and closes the doors . One door stays open . She opens the doors again . Tries closing them again ... and again . Presses a nice silver button . Nothing . Presses all the buttons at once ... whereupon , logically , nothing happens at all . Presses red button... engine burps .
Lady nearby ( sorry , but she is definitely a lady ... she has a lace-edged hanky , stockings and a tweed suit . Facinating . ) clears her throat nervously and looks at her watch . I wave goodbye to grabbing a coffee before my appointment and we all start peering out at the other buses dotted round , trying to work out which one could be diverted via the hospital without the whole system collapsing .
.
Driver manages to close the doors . Now have visions of being trapped in stationary bus .
Inspector wanders up . Points to his watch . Driver shrugs and presses buttons again .
Everything happens at once ... indicators all flash , water squirts up over the windscreen and wipers swish , radio goes on , engine vrooms and we ride off to the sound of Queen and Freddie Mercury ...
Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024!
10 months ago
5 comments:
I can just picture this! And I love the musical accompaniment.... we were on the platform in Turin, waiting for the train to Paris, due in 4 minutes, but the more local train which had preceded it in the queue wasn't leaving as it should because of door issues. Everyone gave a cheer as one of our number gave it a hefty bang from the outside, and it rolled out of the way in just enough time for ours to pull in....
Lovely mental picture! And that's one of my favourite QUeen songs, second only to Radio Gaga
Ooh, I love a build up to a big exit.
Nice story - but how do you know the lady was wearing stockings, and not tights? Just wondering.....
Oh no , it would definitely be suspenders and stockings . Just as she was wearing a 'blouse' rather than a 'top' .
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