One of the really good things that never fails to give me a lift when I visit Brighton is travelling on the buses. They are frequent, safe and clean which I appreciate with mostly really nice drivers.
It is not this that particularly resonates as different from other places I visit, it is the travellers. The buses are such that we use the same door to both get on and off the bus which means we pass the driver twice. Most people say thank you to the driver as they get off the bus. Even the young ‘cool’ boys will say ‘cheers mate’. The drivers make some polite comment in return. This whole interaction lends to kindness in the air and I certainly get off the bus feeling lighter than when I got on.
This made me realise just how the London bus drivers who get complained at when buses are late or stuck in traffic don’t get the words ‘thank you’ that they deserve. This was further brought to my attention when a small mentally and physically disabled little boy struggled to get on the bus with his mum. When he was struggling to get off the bus at a door further back he shouted ‘thank you driver’. Bless his little heart, we can learn so much from people like him and I am sure it made the driver feel good.
So my message to the many bus drivers who I do not say thank you for delivering me safely to my destination due to the proximity of the doors and the crowded corridors THANK YOU!
Dignity in Relationships 