Did you know that bus drivers in this city have a secret handshake? It’s true. It involves waving at another driver with two fingers and a nod. If they do it with three fingers, it means "there’s a fallen tree on Maple Street." If they do it with a closed fist, it means "a pothole just ate my front tire." These are real codes. They are basically a secret society with diesel fumes.
Are London buses on strike today? Which areas are still striking and
Also, the average bus in this fleet is 14 years old. That’s older than some of the high schoolers who ride it. One driver told me her bus’s heating system is controlled by a clothes hanger and a prayer. So when they strike for "working conditions," they mean "please give us a vehicle that doesn’t double as a toaster oven in July."
What to Do Tomorrow Morning
Step one: check your route on the transit app. Do not just assume your bus is fine. Assume nothing. Assume the bus has been abducted by aliens. Step two: walk to the nearest coffee shop and buy a very large drink. You are going to need it. Step three: if you see a picket line, honk your support. Don’t be that person who yells "get back to work!" out the window. Be the hero who brings them a box of donuts—preferably not the ones that are older than the bus.
And if you absolutely must get to work? Embrace the chaos. The strike will end eventually. Probably. Maybe. In the meantime, you can pretend you’re in a post-apocalyptic movie where the only transportation is your own two feet and sheer, unadulterated rage. Just remember: the bus drivers are fighting for a world without goats on public transit. And that’s a world worth waiting for.
