Today I had to go into the City to run an errand...the Buckingham Palace area, actually. After a quick tube status check on the Transport for London website, I learned that there were delays on every tube line I needed to take (gotta love that District Line!). So instead of the "tube-tube-tube-walk" route I would have normally taken, I opted for the "train-bus-walk" suggested alternate route. I haven't ridden the buses too much here. I just find it easier to navigate using my little organized tube map than having to remember a bunch of bus numbers. But, it was a nice day outside and I figured a ride on top of a double decker would give me a nice, birds-eye view of the city and all the tourists.
I boarded my bus portion after a quick train ride to the Vauxhall Station. About halfway through my journey at one of the stops, 4 official looking transport workers boarded our bus and started saying very loudly "I'd like to see your passes, please.....Passes, please." So I dug my travelcard out of my pocket and showed that I was indeed paid-up and entitled to ride the bus. Two guys got totally bus-ted (no pun intended) and had to disembark to the awaiting officers writing penalty tickets.
I haven't decided yet if it's the accent or the vocabulary that makes the British sound so sophisticated and important. But as I glanced at the back of the transport workers' neon green vests, I think I may be leaning towards vocabulary. Their official title? "Revenue Protection"
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