Random conversations on buses

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Caught what??

I hope you threw it back again.

This morning I caught a bus into the city. It was the first bus after 9.30 so was very full. The lady I sat next to surprised me by asking if I would mind if she made a phone call. I have never been asked that before. She then explained that she needed to book her car in as she had overrun her MOT. She proved to be very chatty, and before long she got on to talking about people on benefits for mental health issues. She referred to several relatives of hers who are scroungers. Anecdote after anecdote- it became quite embarrassing. When I could get a word in edgeways I asked her why she didn’t report them. I can’t report family, she said. Eventually I asked her if she actually knew anyone genuinely sick and claiming benefits, and told her how difficult it is for them.
What started as a friendly chat turned into an unpleasant conversation from which there was no escape.
Has anyone any interesting bus conversations to share?

I dont uses public transport now (except for taxis) so I dont remember the last time I got on a bus. I usually tried not to get into conversations on trains and planes by wearing headphones. You can get stuck with some very boring people.

We have no buses here. You definitely didn’t get into conversation with anyone on a bus in the City (which I always enjoyed using)!

My husband used to relate a conversation (one side of) he overheard on a bus in South Wales.
'Yellow I like and blue, but oh I do love a bit of puce.'

I do not use buses anymore as I never know if they will turn up or not, but I have sometimes had unpleasant conversations with taxi drivers talking about the Koran, I just say, sorry, I am not interested. When I pay for a taxi, I want to get to my destination in peace and quiet.

Overheard by me on the bus many many years ago in a village we had just moved in to:

"Have you seen that new young doctor at the surgery? Poor man is as thin as can be and looks as though he needs a good meal. Whatever must his wife be thinking to let him get like that?"

I was that wife!

I've had some interesting conversations on buses.
One elderly woman asked me what FGM was, as she had asked her daughter, who wouldnt tell her.

Then a lady seemed desperate to talk, and told me she had "just" lost her husband. (It was actually almost two years prior)
I didn't feel up to chatting at all, but we did, and I hope we both felt a bit better afterwards.

We live in a rural area where the buses are sometimes erratic so in order to pass the time I usually strike up a conversation with anyone waiting at the bus stop (I hope I am not boring😀). It very much depends on age. I will talk to anyone but if I see a youngster I know they invariably will have headphones on and be on their phone. Shame!

What did you tell the lady who asked about FGM? 😱

I met a lady on a bus to the highlands, who had travelled from Uist to Glasgow to go to the pound shop!!!
She told me a lot about her life, and the fact that her husband had only ever travelled off Uist once, then said "I've been elsewhere, and it was very nice, but I'll not leave again"

Germanshepherdsmum

What did you tell the lady who asked about FGM? 😱

I told her what it was, and she thanked me, once she'd recovered from the shock somewhat.

When I commuted by bus regularly I always had my knitting with me. I was invariably engaged in conversation thus…
No it’s not crochet, it’s knitting
Oh your gran/nan/ mum knitted too.
Then a 20 minute reminiscence about said relative. I never minded and they obviously enjoyed it.

I hope you had smelling salts to hand MissA! Well done, that was brave.

On a long flight back from America chatting to my neighbour about gardening. He said how much he enjoyed the gardens built by Serendipity Jones. I have looked but so far failed to find him!

Just remembered, my one-sided conversation also covered immigration, racism, that immigrants and people on benefits should do community service eg helping old people with their gardens, the need for a limit on the number of children allowed, and how the Russians respect Putin!
All this and more on a 30 minute journey.

Germanshepherdsmum

I hope you had smelling salts to hand MissA! Well done, that was brave.

Thanks.
It had obviously been on her mind, so I suppose I must have looked like the type that would know.

Luckygirl3

Overheard by me on the bus many many years ago in a village we had just moved in to:

"Have you seen that new young doctor at the surgery? Poor man is as thin as can be and looks as though he needs a good meal. Whatever must his wife be thinking to let him get like that?"

I was that wife!

I hope you rushed home and made that poor, thin young man a roast dinner followed by apple crumble and custard!
😁

MissAdventure

Germanshepherdsmum

What did you tell the lady who asked about FGM? 😱

I told her what it was, and she thanked me, once she'd recovered from the shock somewhat.

I never knew there was an acronym FGM.

I did know minimal facts to the offence. I learn a lot reading GN.

In my first job I went to the loo and heard two other women come into the cloakroom. They started talking about me. I sat, frozen, in the cubicle until they'd done what they needed to and gone.

Luckily, they thought I was going to shape up ok!

I've been on a train where a man was having a loud conversation with his partner (I assume) about how far/much her cervix was dilated . After much squirming and exchanges of looks in the carriage, the man sitting next to him just said out loud "Mate! Really?"

Not on public transport, but it seems I’ve the sort of face people can talk to from a lady on her way to visit her sister in St Nicks (psychiatric) Hospital to the middle aged (badly dressed) transvestite who sat next to me in an empty cafe to show me pictures of his grandchildren.
The DDs are used to finding me listening to the trials and tribulations of total strangers! It’s a good job I don’t mind.