The Bus

By hilary west

Mon, 26 Oct 2020
  • 943 reads
5 comments
 

The Bus

 

Chortling in my boyish way,

I thought someone must surely pay,

But there she was,

Her bulky fat and scraping shoe,

Quite unable, to give her, her due,

To push once more and mount the platform,

While the bus pulled off and dragged her through

The streets of London,

This wondrous creature,

Ever hoping that just once,

The next time she would surely be

From embarrassment and pain quite free.

Certificate U
Poem
Window Box : POEMS
Humour

Comments

Submitted by hilary west on

I remembered this episode from my trip to London when I was only ten years of age. The poor woman was quite unable to lift herself onto the bus and hence my cheeky amusement when the bus pulled off and left her scraping along the ground in her court shoe!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

As a child it would seem funny, but now we've heard of so many deaths or injuries through this sort of thing, but I suppose in this incidence she wasn't dragged far as only had to let go, not caught up tied to it, but it must have been far from funny to her! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi Rhiannon,

Yes, I suppose it could have ended badly, but she was stuck. She couldn't let go or she'd have fallen backwards as she had one foot on the platform and the other on the ground. Do you remember the old London buses? They had the platform to get on at the back of the bus and so the driver was quite oblivious to what went on at the other end. The conductor in this instance was too quick with the bell, thinking she'd be able to lift herself quickly, but sadly she couldn't in time. I feel sorry for her now, but as a boy you only see the funny side!

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I remember those old 1960s buses. As kids we'd treat them like a fairground ride, trying to jump on and off of them when they were moving, very scary now I look back, but when you're young and agile you don't see danger.

That poor woman must have been petrified. I'm surprised none of the other adult passengers didn't shout out to stop the bus.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi Jenny,

Thanks for commenting. I don't know what happened to her in the end. We were quite far away and just looking on, but I should imagine she would have shouted out and got the bus to stop, after appearing quite ridiculous, poor soul!

Hilary laugh  It's a case now where you don't know whether to laugh or cry!  crying