February 25, 2015

Magic Bus



 As a five-year-old I had never been on a bus let alone seen a bus conductor. The chap who worked the Green Line between Chatham and London wore a disc-shaped machine at his waist that dispensed crisp cardboard tickets. An instrument of valves and keys borne bandolier-fashion over his uniform doled out correct change.  “It’s impolite to stare” my mother corrected, but I hadn’t even noticed the conductor’s hunched back and his extra big boot. For Christmas 1967 I received my own bus conductor’s kit, replete with flat cap, cheap plastic belt, a roll of tickets and a coin dispenser.





Other "on the buses"  stories can be seen at the Exquisite Corpse  - found here. http://drinkthenewwine.blogspot.ca/

3 comments:

Hels said...

Melbourne trams had conductors until 1990, an essential part of public transport in my opinion. Pregnant women, families with pushers, elderly travellers ... everyone valued their role.

Jenny Woolf said...

I saw a clip of film somewhere, maybe London transport museum, of people learning to be bus conductors, all practising turning the handle of their ticket machines. It was both hilarious and nostalgic. :)

Giulia said...

I can see you now. :)

xo/Susan