Passenger

If I’m being really honest I miss driving my car. I identify with Iggy Pop, always a passenger. I often accept rides home from the folks at Whitehouse Presbyterian, but for many journeys I rely on Belfast’s bus network. Using the city busses requires a tremendous amount of organization; at least that’s how it feels to me. I have to check the timetables before I leave my house, departing on the 7-minute walk to the bus stop. And I can’t take just any bus, the 2a doesn’t get me close to the church. If I’m going to Whitehouse primary school, I must be even more selective. I must remember to top up my card occasionally, AND remember to give my receipts to Doug, but only for my work card. It’s all very stressful; you’re allowed to feel sorry for me.

Yes, it's a bad photo taken from a bus. But it was a double-decker bus.

Setting aside the drama for a moment, riding the bus allows me to feel a little closer to the community of Belfast. I know little about rugby and less about Downton Abbey, but I can share the experience of bus travel with the people of Northern Ireland. When those goons were blasting house music on the second level at 8 a.m., I got to exchange frustrated looks with other passengers. When English tourists needed guidance, I had an answer for them. It is also a great joy to strike up conversations with friendly strangers. I’ve met a young man who aspires to live overseas and questions the existence of God. He said he was Protestant but really he just cares about being a human. I learned a great deal about Northern Irish politics from a man who I believe was without a home. He was intelligent and kind. And just Friday I met Sting’s greatest fan, who suspects that Obama is Illuminati.

In general my bus encounters are very positive. When they are not positive they are at least memorable. In my own car I have a little world to myself, and I miss that. It can be controlled very carefully: the music, the temperature, the speed. In contrast, the world of bus travel is a powerful affirmation of chaos theory, but the people of Belfast are mostly generous and kind. And it is a delight to share that world with them.