Bus Surfing

The other day I was able to experience something that most people don't get to on their daily commute– bus surfing! Yes, you read that right– bus surfing! What on earth is bus surfing you ask? Well let me tell you: When a bus is so crowded that you have no choice but to stand in the aisle, you must take a stance that keeps you from falling all over your fellow passengers and turning the bus into a mobile mosh pit. The most effective and most stabilizing position I've found, in my experience, is to stand with one foot in front of the other with one hand holding the bar that runs just below the ceiling and the other hand holding onto the bar on top of one of the forward facing seats. This puts you in a position similar to a surfer– okay if it looked like the surfer was about to fall of his board, what with one hand in the air and all. However, instead of hanging ten or hanging loose your hanging on… for dear life! It can actually be kind of fun especially when you get a bus driver who likes to whip around corners or when the bus hits a big bump in the road! I was very tempted to yell "Excellent! Surf's up! Cowabunga dudes!" during one particularly thrilling curve, but I thought they might transfer me to a different type of vehicle – one that's driven by men with little white jackets! So, I held my peace.

If you don't want to take up as much space, there is also the windsurfer position: grab onto one of the poles, plant your feet, and you're ready to go! It's not quite as stable as my stance, as you have a tendency to swing around, but it can be just as fun. Everyone who has had to stand during a bus ride has their own way of coping with the bus's inertia, but one thing they all have in common… they are hanging on to something. Believe me, you will never appreciate the makers of deodorant more than when you are either the surfer or the passenger seated next to the surfer!

So, if you are on a budget and you can't actually go to the coast, then take a trip on the city bus! Nothing could ever replace the beach but at least you won't have to worry about sharks or sunburns. If you're like me and have never surfed real waves and don't plan on taking the actual sport up anytime soon but would like to experience the same thrill, well then the city bus is for you. Surf's up! :-)