So last night I was on my way home from work and as usual I get off the train and walk to the bus stop and the bus was due in 3 minutes but the time wasn't updating. This is a problem because when it says "10:07" and not "3 minutes", that usually means that the departure is about to get cancelled. I wasn't too bothered by it since I have multiple ways to get home, so I just got on a different bus going the same general direction, only to immediately notice the correct bus pulling up behind my bus, so I have to run for my life to switch buses before they both leave me stranded.
After getting on the correct bus, everything was fine until we had to take a detour because the road ahead was closed due to some kind of manhunt or car crash or something involving a large number of police cars. I guess some people didn't notice because they started yelling at the driver to turn back. This wasn't even the worst of it. A couple times someone pulled the signal rope thing and just didn't get off, further angering the driver. By the time we were back on the regular route the driver was very agitated and driving at 40-50mph down a residential street. Then it happened: a slight curve. The roads in this neighborhood are somewhat narrow and when a large bus is barrelling towards a curve in a 2(ish) lane road with cars parked on both sides, you have to think quickly. Luckily he did manage somewhat to think rationally and didn't hit anything, but he did scare the shit out of me as I felt the bus start tipping over. This wasn't even the end of it. He had zero intention of slowing down after the road became straight again and put his foot back on the gas pedal.
And what happens when the bus is going 15 over the limit and someone requests it to stop? Why, the driver has to put his entire body weight on the brake pedal, of course! This caused me to fall out of my seat and by now I was considering just getting off and waiting for the next bus, but this was at 11PM so the buses would only be running every 30-45 minutes, and the last thing I want to do is be alone and stranded at night. Repeat everything that just happened for another stop and eventually we make it to one of the main roads which had a red light. This gave the driver just enough time to calm down, but I was still in shock until I got home. This was actually very reminiscent of a similar incident that happened on the school bus when I was in the 6th grade, only maybe a little less illegal since there were no children on the bus. I'm pretty sure if and when the higherups find out about this incident he's going to get in trouble and/or lose his job, so I hope all goes well for him, because deep down we all know that driving buses for the city is incredibly stressful when you have to deal with major inconveniences and angry customers. He was just trying to do his job, and I'm pretty sure the real reason he was speeding is because veering off course and making multiple "phantom stops" caused him to be behind schedule. I don't condone what he did but I'm also not going to act like he's some kind of maniac. Bus drivers are human and if you (referring to both the customers and the company that hired him) put too much pressure on them, eventually they're going to snap.
The moral of the story: Don't stress out your bus driver because whenever you board a bus, you're putting your life in their hands.
----- Old stuff was deleted because I was on a lot of drugs while writing it -----