ONE of the meanings of the word “creativity” is, characterized by sophisticated bending of the rules of conventions. “If this is the case, (still on the subject of buses) then we must heartily agree that the variety of colourful baptismal names which drivers formerly bestowed on their vehicles put those drivers in a “most creative” category. As a passenger, observing these names as the buses whizzed by and imagining why they were chosen had become a pleasant pastime. Every Gros Islet commuter knew that the secondary school set loved to ride on Stan or get on Dabs bus. Of course, the reason being the drivers love for the latest music craze pouring or pounding out from well-balanced speakers.
There was also Movements, Party Animal, AI, Cold Ice, Fire, and Mystery. I wondered if these names described the drivers’ styles or personality.
A huge Mack truck was christened Industry while a fiery red bus was named Reggae.
I recall one very rushed and frustrating morning, besides being late for work, I could not find the door keys and everything that could go wrong threatened to do so.
Finally, after sweating a ton of bullets, I got to the bus stop and the first bus to get there had to be no other than Worms. Well, what to do. I sat here fuming “till I noticed the name of a bus in the next lane…Chill Out…I got the message.
Sweet Bread was a nice name, so was Cool Runnings and Big Time. Scrap was cool and by no means diminutive as the name suggests. Then there was No Style, Mind Work, Dream Machine and King I.
Some names took on a martial arts slant, like, Ninja, Article and Budda Bless. Fatal may put you off a bit but Come Home will bring you back again. Big Truck, No Fear, X-tra Love, Sizzle and Vanity sound very sexy indeed. Mr. Pin, Rico, Pablo, M. 10, Noah, Clem and Alex seem to be the drivers’ names though rather than bus names.
Well, lots of time have passed and the pride, which those original bus drivers viewed their vehicles and the courtesy with which their passengers were treated, is now gone for good.
Sadly, Good things do not last forever. Yet some former passengers never forget.