Bus stop etiquette

I absolutely hate waiting for the bus. It's always late (yes, Stagecoach, that is a compliant!) and when it is, not only am I late to my destination but I've found that total strangers see it as a reason to talk to me. I don't know whether this is because I look particularly approachable and knowledgeable of why the bus is late, or that it is part of an unwritten rule I am yet to discover. Either way, I don't like it.

I'm the sort of person who really doesn't like it when strangers in the street initiate conversations. When at the bus stop, I like to absorb my self in my own world: mp3 turned up, headphones in and my thoughts to myself. Anyone trying to enter my personal bubble is strongly disliked. Nevertheless, people often think I'd actually quite like to talk. However, contrary to their view, I do not know when the bus is coming (I mean, if I did, surely I wouldn't be waiting in the cold and rain longer than I have to?) Also, I certainly don't want to know about last time the bus was late. I have enough of those stories myself to add other people's tales of woe to my databank.

A week or so ago, one particular guy though a late rating of five minutes was sufficient waiting time before initiating conversation. I don't know about you, but I'm never surprised when a bus is just a few minutes late. (It's not like we live in Tokyo where it is rare for their train to be even a minute late, let alone five.) Nevertheless, these five minutes were apparently an acceptable length of time to wait before starting a conversation about bus lateness. Additionally, there were a lot of other people at the bus stop. It wasn't just me and this guy standing at the stop alone! However, his beady eyes picked me out and he strode the length of the bus stop just to say "are you getting the 400? It's late isn't it?" If he had left it there, I may have let him off, but no: he continued talking! Me being me, I didn't really want to be too rude, but I also did not want to be having a meaningless conversation with a random, unknown guy, especially when I had a bag of Wine Gums in my bag that I had previously been munching on contentedly.

Eventually, this guy left me alone, but that wasn't the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last either! Nevertheless, I fear that this may be the fate I face until I am able to switch a bus ticket for car keys... Come quickly 17^th birthday!