A Bus Conductor

A bus conductor is a very common figure. He can be seen in a bus or a bus-stand. He assists a bus-driver in running a bus carrying passengers. He issues tickets to passengers and sees that none is travelling without ticket. The bus driver does not move the bus until the conductor gives a long whistle.

Normally the conductor is seen in a khaki uniform. He hangs his ticket cum money bag on his shoulder. He has a punching machine. He goes from passenger to passenger asking him where he wants to go. He allots separate seats to lady passengers. Sometimes when he has no change, he asks the passengers not to forget it. He clears the balance before a passenger gets down at his destination.

The conductor keeps standing in the bus for most of the time. He has to see that the bus stops at all proper stoppages. When some stoppage comes, he announces that the passengers belonging to that place should go near the window. After the passengers have got down, he allows the other new passengers to get in. Sometimes he allows more passengers to get in and the bus is over-crowded.

The conductor has to deal with passengers who come from different walks of life. He normally tries to be cool and polite. But sometimes he loses his temper. He quarrels with the passengers and uses abusive language for them. This happens only when he feels that he is about to be cheated. He regards all the passengers alike. In order to make his task easy and cheerful the conductor must be polite and soft-spoken.