Bus Past?

The Routemaster Bus is a true icon for London bus-passers.
I am one of them. In those mornings when your bus would not come,
the Routmaster was there, ready to pick you up as quickly as possible.
Now objections are being made for its uneasiness, for its restrictions for the blind.

I have been a reader for a blind student who made me SEE the troubles for those who walk streets with invisible barriers. I do understand the need for more and more user-friendly transportation.

But please, do not make them history. Those of us who are lucky enough to spot them as they follow their routes want to continue to SEE them…

One Way...or the Other

Somebody called me up today. The number was withheld so I didn’t know who it was. Only the voice of Silence replied. I said hello like an actor who is asked one hundred times to repeat the same sequence until finding the correct pitch. I hanged up. One minute later it rang again.

- Good morning, my name is Peter Lawler and I’m calling you from VBF Research.
- How did you get my number?
- We use a system that selects random numbers so that we can interview people from all walks of life.
- Are you sure? So why do I have the feeling you were the person who called one minute ago?
- If you want to take part in this study, you just have to answer yes or no to the following questions.
- Is that you? Did you just call me one minute ago?
- Are you ready for the first question?
- Yes, I mean…
- When you go to a park, do you try to identify any species that you may know?
- Mmmm…
- Please, you just have to answer yes or no.
- Is that you Martin?
- Please, just answer yes or no.
- Yes.
- Thank you. Second question: do you normally go to parks in your spare time?
- Yes.
- Question number three: do you go alone?
- Yes, Martin.
- Do you prefer more intimate places like, for instance, within the trees, to more open spaces?
- Martin, I didn’t go to the park with him. I’m being faithful to you. Now, please stop this farce.
- Please you only have to answer yes or no.
- Martin, I think it’s too much, I cannot take it any longer.
- Do you want to continue with this survey or shall we leave it for any other time?
- Yes.
- Yes, we leave it? Or yes, we continue?
- Yes, we continue.

After three more questions I realised he wasn’t Martin, even if his voice was almost identical. I always did the same. I pushed them to hear their reactions, to hear one of those typically Martin’s reactions. I had missed him again, though I completed the survey as a matter of solidarity, just thinking he was, in fact, Martin, getting closer to his target of three completed surveys per hour. With two more guys like me his supervisor would leave alone for a while.

However, once more it wasn’t him.

God knows how many surveys I will have to answer until his voice finally reaches my ear.

Welcome! It's time I started...