why I like buses

Whenever I hear people complain about how much they hate buses, I can be found making myself invisible on the fringes, trying to keep my mouth shut. You see, it's not exactly easy to convince people of the merits of public transit.

But the merits exist.

Mostly what I like about buses is that for however long, all the passengers are going the same place. Ever since I was younger, whenever travelling in cars, I find myself staring at drivers in other cars, wondering where they're going, what their lives are like, if they're late or on any kind of schedule. On a bus, it's like that only amplified. Everyone is confined to a certain place and people get on and off as they please. You could argue that a temporary camaraderie is created, as everyone inhales the same scents of too strong perfume and body odor and tries to ignore the same crazy people.

Then you get off the bus and the sense of unity disappears quietly, like maybe it never existed at all. And hey, maybe it didn't.