Most people don’t like public transport. They would rather be on their own in their car, stuck in a traffic jam, rather than crushed in a smelly bus. But I like public transport. Apart from the fact that there is no need to find a parking space in town, it is a good place to observe people from all sorts of backgrounds. Some things struck me recently both in Chambéry and Aix-En-Provence.
First is that some people are willing to have a chat while waiting for the bus. I recently had a long chat with an elderly from a village near Cognin. She knew my home village very well. Her daughter lives near my mum and she knows some of my mum’s neighbours. This morning also, I had a quick chat with a man while waiting for a bus in Aix-en-Provence. It didn’t go far, but he was willing to chat.
What struck me also is that I noticed young and older men actually stand up to let women and elderly folks sit. Also, when you leave a French bus, you thank the driver and say goodbye aloud, even if the bus is packed and the driver can’t hear you. It is probably not true everywhere, but it is true where I have been so far.
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