Secure bus travel

Bus Queue
Originally uploaded by chamarisk

Yesterday, I wanted to go to Edinburgh by bus, and I managed to get a return ticket online at a reasonable price.

I arrived at the bus station two hours before the bus was due to leave to make sure I’d be on it.

I then had to stand in a long queue to check in.

They checked my passport, but then they said my bag was too big and I had to check it in, which cost me an extra five quid.

I saw my bag move away on the conveyor belt, and I then went through security.

I had forgotten I had a pen knife in my pocket, so they of course confiscated it, but apart from that, I got through without any problems.

I was very thirsty, but of course I couldn’t bring any drinks through, so I had to buy a drink at a far too high price in the transit area. I just wished I could wait outside, but of course that wasn’t possible.

Finally my bus was ready for departure, and I went to the stance and went on board.

When we arrived in Edinburgh, I went to pick up my bag from the carrousel, but it wasn’t there. At the information counter, they said it had ended up on the wrong bus and was now on its way to Inverness, but they’d get it back to me asap – which turned out to be two days later.

All in all a normal bus trip. But sometimes I wonder why bus travel can’t be as easy as flying?