Amaryllis

And so a tale of trying to get home.

I left the office and jumped in the first bus that was heading into town.  I was delighted that it was nearly empty and we seemed to get into town really quickly.

I got out and thought "I don't think I've ever seen as many 7, 8 & 9 year olds standing around here".  There must have been approaching 100 of them.  I checked the board for when my bus would leave and saw it was due.  Hooray for good timing.

And so I waited for it... Other buses came and went, I waited with the 100 schoolkids.  And then my bus arrived.

Queuing is not a German talent.

The doors of the bus opened and the 100 schoolkids & their teachers tried to get on.  And they were pretty much ignoring anyone trying to get off.  The bus was too full and so about 30 of the kids and their teachers were left behind. 

I decided to wait for my back-up bus, it's a longer walk at the end but it's Ok.  The back-up arrived and the 30 kids renewed their storming of public transport class.

I decided to wait for a bus I could see approaching.  It goes a completely different route though a lot of nowhere, but there were no more kids at my bus stop and it would be quiet.

So I got on.  It was quiet and I had a seat - I was happy.

The bus set off and stopped at the next stop.  Where 40 small people immediately stormed it.

Picture the scene:- me just wanting to get home and looking for a little quiet time and surrounded by 40 people who only means of communicating were to be louder than the person next to them, pushing and randomly breaking into song.

Whatever song is in the charts with the line "I really like you" is hugely popular with the under-10s it would seem.

I managed another 3 bus stops before my inner peace & tranquility had been trampled into tiny pieces and I had to get off the bus.

Back on the street, it seemed to be quieter than in the bus and I started to walk.  My plan was to get on a later bus that would be quieter.  However the only buses that passed me were full to the gunnels with small people.  An empty bus did pass me but I was nowhere near a bus-stop at the time...

About an hour later, I was nearing a supermarket that is only 20 minutes from us and I thought "I'l pop in here, get a few treats and then catch the bus round the corner."

Treats collected, I walked round the corner only to be faced with latest group of 30 small people waiting for my bus...

I gave up and walked the last 20 minutes as well. Just before I turned into my street my bus went past.

It was empty.

Some things were not meant to be.

I'm merely grateful that it didn't rain ALL the way home.