The 6am66 bus stop has "partial amenities" - chair-quality bench (back and arms) and trash can - no lighting or overhead canopy for shade or cover from the elements. We're a step up from the "natural" or "organic" bus stops with rock seats in Mesa, but not overwhelmed with extras. While waiting for the bus this morning, storms visibly moving in from the south, I wondered how much lightning protection does the typical bus shelter provide? Most Valley shelters seem almost treelike and we know that trees are verboten in lightning situations. However, as the bolts slam out of the sky, I feel extremely vulnerable without any cover. Golf course protocol for lightning says to lie down on the ground. I understand the logic, but fear the bus driver wouldn't see me and stop if I chose to wait, fully prone on the ground. Or, if she did see me, just drive by and call the police to report a drunk passed out at the stop. Then the police would come and find out I wasn't passed out or drunk, just taking proper storm precautions and they might be angry and arrest me for wasting valuable police time. Then again, they might let me wait for the bus in the cruiser, providing much needed shelter from the storm. Probably not. Fortunately, storms during bus waits are infrequent and the lightning-dodging dilemma rarely surfaces.
2 comments:
This morning in Bugger Royal (West Sussex) I was alas forced to wait nearly 40 minutes in the pouring rain until my normally very reliable bus arrived. First thing the driver did as I boarded wet through and bedraggled was apologise - apparently he'd been held up in heavy traffic to such an extent that from "Quichewick Park" to the town centre, a five minute jorney, had taken him 37 minutes - he said he'd been expecting to see signs of an accident or road closure, but there was no apparent cause - if one of your readers was in Bugger Royal this morning I'll kil him/her - some nasty godamn stain has appeared on both arms and both shoulders of my shirt, having been washed through my supposedly waterproof wax jacket and my suit - bus stop facilities, what bus stop facilities? Even the Mesa Rock would've been welcome...
Car (13)54 where are you?
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