Today, I was on time, perhaps even early for work. I place the emphasis on was for reasons I am about to reveal.
Fate, it seems, conspires against the prepared.
I went to bed early, got up early. Even had time for two cups of tea. Browsed the internet and left thirty minutes before I normally get out the door.
As I approach the bus stop, the bus leaves. There goes ten minutes but I am still early.
The next bus arrives, and I get on. Another ten minutes passes as we wait for other passengers to get on. So far, still early.
Then, the bus breaks down, and all of us get off the bus. However, the bus driver notes we can get on the law school shuttle and disembark reasonably close to campus.
I get on the law school shuttle and I notice three things:
- It’s quiet. Almost everyone is studying.
- People on the shuttle are older. What little conversation I overheard was about clients and work.
- The smell of leather permeated the entire bus.
I guess someone just got a new briefcase or something, but the odor was strong, bordering on pungent.
But it was a nice change from the overcrowded, loud, main campus shuttle.