Public Transportation

Things I Like About Taking the Bus in Auckland:

1. the drivers are friendly and actually speak to you
2. they also give change
3. if you ask nicely, they'll let you off right where you want to be dropped off, not at the actual bus stop
4. the people on the bus are friendly (mostly) and quiet (mostly)
5. people don't talk on their cell phones - they text
6. the bus is clean - you can actually put your bag on the ground and not worry about setting it down onto gum, or spilled diet Coke, or worse...
7. people (including kids) actually follow the "reserve this seat for the elderly" rule
8. there's a lot of them -- you can get pretty much anywhere, including the 'burbs
9. there's no advertisements anywhere on the bus

Things I Don't Like:

1. there's no advertisements anywhere on the bus
2. I'm on the bus for 2 hours every day (though it beats driving)
3. the regulars: the guy who smells like dirty hair who often sits RIGHT in front of me, the grody chainsmoker lady who reeks, the guy who gets off right before my stop who never wears deodorant

Unfortunately, the guy in the picture is not a regular. His outfit was so much better from the front but I obviously couldn't get a shot. He was 100% color coordinated in orange and dark orange, right down to his socks, a dark orange ribbon around his wrist, and what I'm assuming was an orange ascot around his neck. He sounded like a Kiwi Paul Lynde and was VERY chatty. He'd just purchased the umbrella stand he's carrying and couldn't have been more pleased. I thought, "Oh my god - I hope this guy takes the bus all the time!" but I've only seen him once.