On Ageing Buses

I travelled home today on an old model double-decker. Many of the seat cushions had been repaired, and across from me a seat frame had been re-welded and patched up with tape. Old chewing gum had become an integral part of the infrastructure, and I could only guess at the original colour of the floor and walls. (So I guessed brown, because a lot of things were brown back in those days.) Common among the cheaper bus companies - that don’t run a service to where I live - these busses are being phased out of the 43 route, in preference for built in CCTV and bright orange digital displays. And I’m not sad or nostalgic because I’m far too young for that, and I like seeing the bright orange ‘43’ appearing through the fading light and the drizzle, promising a warm and comfortable ride home.