Honestly, Beautifully : honey blade
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2002-03-31 - 9:44 p.m.
And now: the story of how Neko and I are getting free bus travel from the bus driver what likes us.
Flash back a long time. Late summer, I believe.
Neko and I were getting on the E2 opposite Ealing town hall. A woman in a black evening dress got on in front of us and flashed her bus pass at the driver. The driver, however, stopped her and demanded to see her bus pass. On inspection, she was carrying a child's pass with an adult photocard, and she had a collection of old, adult passes in her photocard wallet so it was obvious she knew what she was doing. When called on this she began speaking in very quick French, presumably to give the impression that she wasn't really sure what was going on. The driver didn't fall for that and told her to get off the bus. When she didn't, he said he was going to take her to the police, since the station was just down the road. Oddly enough, she didn't mind that. So at the next stop, which happened to be outside the police station, he stopped the bus and the two of them headed off to the police station. So we were sitting around for about 20 minutes until the driver came back out, apologised for the long wait and told us the police were going to charge the woman. He then said he would sort out alternative buses for us all to get home on. Since Neko and I, amongst other passengers, were going to Brentford, he pulled over an E8 that was passing by, we got on that and got home that way.
Neko went out later that evening and on the bus home, he heard his bus driver talking to another driver on the radio about how this guy "wouldn't let this woman go". Neko knew what he was talking about :)
Anyway. Flash forward again, to last night. Neko and I get out at Northfields, both more than a little tipsy, and are both quite happy to see an E2 waiting at the bus stop. We get around the corner, the bus is empty and the driver's standing next to it with two police officers.
And it's the same driver from way back then.
He and the police officers start walking towards Northfields, so we ask if he'll be coming back. He says yes so we decide to wait. A little while later he comes back and says he's going to be a while because he's been assaulted and needs to make a report. We ask if he's OK, he says he is. So then I mention that we remember him from the previous summer, he then lights up and it turns out he remembers us.
Anyway, since he reckons he'll be a while and we need more coke, we decide to walk down to the 24-hour place and then walk home. After we've bought the coke though, we're walking home and the bus drives past us. The driver obviously sees us because he honks his horn at us, then pulls over and lets us on.
So, for the duration of the short journey home we're chatting to the driver about fare evaders. Apparently the guy in question had a Senior Citizen pass but he was only in his 40s. When the driver took his pass off him and put it on top of the ticket dispenser, the guy apparently reached through the little gap in the window of the driver's booth and tried to get it back. The driver fought back and it ended up with the driver being hurt.
He was OK though, and when he dropped us off he chatted to us about moving to Japan for a bit, which was rather nice. And now he's told us that if we get on his buses in future he'll let us ride for free. So cool :)
OK, I'm probably going to go back to bed for a bit, I haven't slept much today at all...
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