Shell shocked. Well close.

The first day.

Ooh, it was every bit as bad I thought it was going to be.

It was dark when we left the depot (0655, yes the dark mornings are coming in). At no point did I feel comfortable. I don't like being supervised anyway, but I do need help with this and that.

We picked up a green double- decker, yes I forgot to get a photo, but it's one of the new Hybrid, half electric and half diesel, I'll just give you a flavor of how it was. I was 6 minutes late after 18 minutes on the road. I took in the cash bag £568 by my tea break, about 4 & a half hours. It was Monday morning when most passengers buy their weekly tickets off the driver. 

I was shell shocked. Baptism by fire, your dam right. I was right to be worried.

I'm off today.

Time to reflect, time to lick my wounds, time to get myself ready for my next shift. I'm off today and my next shift is a late. This means I start at 3 tomorrow afternoon and work though till last bus. 

New glasses.

I'm off in to town to get my eyes tested. I need vary focal glasses. For years I've only needed single lens glasses for reading or doing some close up work. Now I need to be able to leave the glasses on and see close up and go. My night sight is good, but I'm sure it will help if the glasses are on all the time.

The other thing that unsettled me is the drivers protection screen. We had them in the old days, but they were optional. You could slid them back behind the drivers seat. I never had a screen closed, I never felt as though I needed it. Now the screen is fixed, closed.

Passengers get on, shy, quiet. The other thing (yes just one more) I thought I was proficient in the local dialect. I've been here for 38 years, but no. The main routes I go though are the hardest to understand. Most English would not understand the locals. So I'm struggling on that front too. They do call me Posh Paul, not that I'm posh, but I do sound ........ well different. 

I will get better, I will work out some systems (where to put the money, where to keep my bag, where to drive fast and safe). 

I'm off for an eye test. 

Good bye.