2836. Stranded © Bruce Goodman 6 September 2023

These tourist bus tours for the rich, goodness me, I don’t know why anyone with money would want to sit in a hot bus. It just goes to show how lonely some people are. They enjoy the company of fellow travellers. They make new friends I suppose. So for a week or so looking at waterfalls and rock formations through a bus window could be construed as a change of scene. I have got to know several of such tourists fairly well. Somehow they got stranded in my town. The bus wasn’t on its advertised route. It stopped in this derelict little town – mainly for photographs to be taken of “what life used to be like”. And then suddenly the bus took off and several people were stranded. They were lucky. I am one of few regular occupants in this desolate town. By profession I was a lawyer. I went to them and asked if I could help. Naturally they said yes. I said that some sort of payment if possible would be appreciated. Goodness! Have they been generous or what. I’ve managed to arrange for a bus to come at the end of the week to pick them up. After that another busload of tourists will arrive. This time the bus driver asked me in advance how many I wanted him to leave behind. The local diner-motel manager and I don’t agree with how many lost tourists we can cope with. I said the secret is not to be too greedy. Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story