Expired

Yesterday my bus pass expired.
Might as well, as I forgot to take it out my shirt pocket and it went through the washer and dryer. You can still read the important bits on the front and back plastic foils but the cardboard inbetween that gave the pass its "card" feel didn't fare well in the wash.

Public transport is quite good in Bermuda. On an island of barely 20 sq miles with a population of 68,000 (not counting cruise ship tourists) and having a total of 3-- that is THREE-- major roads across the island, one would think even a child could put together a good public transport system. Well, when the system fails, one recognises the somewhat more-than-childplay effort that goes into it.

There are only busses on the island, no tubes or trains. And those busses are small--no not like Jamaican taxis, but smaller than a London bus. But they are air conditioned (which works--often too well, depending on how cold the driver sets it). They have to be small, because the roads are not very wide. And the busses just about fit on them. The drivers seem to have a built in sixth sense about the dimensions of the bus. If you sit on the nearside, you can often see house corners and rocks pass precariously close to the window, while overhanging trees may shed some leaves as the bus brushes by (if the windows are open those leaves end up in the bus, near the back seats).
These busses run on time. OK, maybe there's a minute or two delay, but nothing like a London bus, and no they don't show up all at once here.

After a while you get to know the faces of the drivers and they may even recognise you as well. It's fun to greet and chat with them. Makes you feel more of a resident, an islander.

So we rely on public transport. The kids catch the bus directly outside our house (there are only 2 busses per day: 7.22 and 8.05). Barbara and I usually have to walk 10 mins down the road to the regular bus stop.

So why don't you get a car, or a scooter? Well, firstly I don't have a license. I mean, I do, but not a Bermudian license, and nothing else is recognised here. I am on my way to getting one. I passed the written test, and now I have a learner's permit, and I am allowed to drive a car with L-plates (oh the shame)--which makes me feel over 20 years younger.
Then there is the more tricky issue of finance. Cars (SMALL cars) are very expensive over here, not just to buy, but to license, insure, and fill up with petrol.
Maybe I'll end up on a scooter... Till then, it's time to get my October bus pass.