A Bus "Tail" (-light)

Celebrate small victories, they say. Appreciate the little things. Acknowledge small miracles.

One of the small miracles I appreciate everyday is being able to catch the bus on time.
Here in Switzerland, where they make precision watches, buses and trams come on time (99% of the time), and people are forever running to catch them. My roommate P.A.'s usual morning parting words include "Please pray that I catch the bus!"

Part of being reliably on time, bus drivers are pretty strict. Once they close the doors and move a millimeter, even if you were just one-tenth of second late, they won't open the door for you. And you will be left staring at the bus' tail light. I get upset when that happens, when no matter how may times and no matter how hard I press the open button, the bus leaves without me, and I wait for another 7 minutes or more. But I understand too, that if I was the one waiting at the next stop, I would be upset if the bus was a minute or two late, because it waited for other people. So it's pretty fair when you stick to rules.

I used to hate buses, because I get nauseous when I ride in one. But I love the buses and trams here. The Transports Publics Genevois (TPG) are environment-friendly (most run on electricity), they run on moderate speed (I gather the drivers are salaried, unlike in the Philippines, where drivers tend to overspeed to earn more), they are clean and spacious (not like a can of sardines), they look safe, they come on time, they load/unload at the proper stop, and for a someone like me who is bad at directions , I appreciate the fact that buses and trams have monitors and speakers that tell you where you are, what is the next stop, and what other bus or tram connections you can get at that stop.

Once, I thought, why don't we have transport service like these in the Philippines? And I answer my own question... Oh I forgot this is Switzerland. A pretty rich country. Geneva even burns money by holding a pretty huge fireworks display every year. (Don't get me wrong. I loved the majestic fireworks display over the lake during the Fêtes du Genève. But after it went beyond an hour... I felt uneasy, and thought of all the food that could be bought with the money spent for fireworks). I know someday, the Philippines will get there. Maybe not as fast as the MRT gets from North Ave to Taft... but at least now we have the MRT 3 Purple line! Celebrate small victories, they say.

The transportation system here also operates on an honesty system. You don't have to show your ticket to a conductor, or swipe a card when you get on/off. One can ride without paying. Sounds good? Try it at your own risk. Big guys in black go on board when you least expect it, and they spot check! If you get caught without a ticket, you pay 80 francs for fine (that's around 3,200 pesos), as opposed to just paying 3 francs for the ride (or less when you have abonnement). I did ride a couple of times without a ticket (or an abonnement) and I was soooo stressed and got so paranoid. It definitely was not worth it. I have to thank TPG for keeping me honest, that way at least.

Every once in a while, God uses buses and trams for sweet miracles to happen. A kind stranger sees you running and holds the door open until you get there. Or the driver takes pity on you and waits for you. Like last week, I was across the bus stop, but I could not cross the street as I was caught at a red pedestrian light. The bus left, and the bus driver looked at me. I shrugged. C'est la vie. He shrugged back... and then before he turned at the corner, he nodded towards me... stopped, opened the door, and let me in...

It was more than a meter away from the stop. Miracle.

At times like those, I say "merci beaucoup" over and over, and promise to myself that I will pay the kindness forward.

But today, I did miss the bus. The bus driver also looked at me, and his face was expressionless.

So I decided to walk. My office was just three stops away anyway. A ten to fifteen minute walk. It was a cool and quiet morning. I looked at the trees almost bare, getting ready to sleep during winter. People on bicycles serenely rode by. Cheeful chatter blended with the quiet hum of the morning.

It was a beautiful morning and a beautiful walk.

And so, today I was left staring at the bus tail light... and God gave me the opportunity to walk -- and appreciate little things, celebrate small victories, and acknowledge small miracles.

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For a related blog article by PA, please see

http://thewandererstales.blogspot.com/2005/09/100m-dash.html