Politeness on the bus

Nice bus, great backdrop

And you can pop your bike on the front!

This is our local bus and we LOVE it (I’m speaking for mum here too, who has declared in both letters since her visit that she is missing the SKIP).  It’s regular, reliable and goes where we often want to go.  But the thing we love most about it is the friendly drivers and the polite fellow passengers.  The drivers always ask us to have a great day as we get out and are keen to chat as they drive.  Maybe they are happy as the buses have those enormous old almost-horizontal steering wheels.  And the passengers, even the skateboard-carrying, i-pod-plugged students, holler thank you up the bus as they get out.

This politeness is the norm in non-bus situations too and it makes getting through the day very pleasant.  Early on I was chatting with a parent in the playground and he drew the conversation to a close by saying, “Well Lucy, it’s been nice talking with you.  Have a great day.”  We've been to an impromptu barbecue with some parents after three days of school, I’ve been invited on hikes and climbs and to a mums’ breakfast party.