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Puppy Eyes on the Road

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The art of letting drivers out, bus driver edition, as a bus driver, I like to think of myself as a courteous knight of the road...

... but sometimes, I feel like the gatekeeper of a medieval drawbridge. Everyone wants out, and it's up to me to decide who gets to cross.

The trickiest part? Those puppy eyes. You know the ones, when a driver glances over, all hopeful, with an expression that says, "Please, oh noble bus driver, grant me this one favour. I’ll love you forever." It gets me every time.

Driver giving puppy dog eyes through the car window, pleading for a bus driver to let them out at a busy junction.
When puppy dog eyes meet a bus driver’s resolve, courtesy on the road with a touch of humour and a dash of traffic karma.

There I am, trying to stay on schedule, but as soon as I see that "I’m just a small hatchback in a big world" look, my resolve crumbles. Some drivers have mastered this art to Oscar-worthy levels. Add a little nod and an apologetic shrug, and I’m already reaching for the metaphorical drawbridge lever.

And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good thank-you wave? When a driver gives me that little gesture of appreciation, I feel like I’ve just won a round of The Great British Road Etiquette Games. It’s the simplest interaction, but it can brighten a day. Bonus points for the double wave or, on rare occasions, the enthusiastic hazard light flash.

But here’s the thing: I’m not just doing it for the warm fuzzies or the fleeting feeling of being a hero in a hi-vis jacket. No, there’s a bigger philosophy at play here. 

Behaviour breeds behaviour

I like to think that every time I let someone out, they’ll go on to pay it forward. Maybe they’ll let someone else merge into their lane, or perhaps they’ll wait patiently for a pedestrian. I picture this ripple effect spreading across the city, like traffic karma in action.

Of course, I’m not naïve. For every driver who waves, there’s one who sails off without so much as a glance, as if the roads were created just for them. Those are the moments when I wonder if my good intentions are being fed into a cosmic black hole. But then I remind myself: Karma works in strange ways.

Perhaps the driver I let out today won’t immediately return the favour, but maybe they’ll find themselves at a crowded junction next week, feeling the strain of a red light and a tight deadline. And then, out of nowhere, another driver will stop and let them through. Maybe they’ll even smile.

That’s the hope, anyway. Good deeds are like sending positive vibes into the universe, you can’t always see the results, but you like to think they’re making a difference. And if it means the roads are just a little friendlier for everyone, then I’m happy to be part of the chain.

So, to all my fellow road users: keep the puppy eyes coming, keep waving (seriously, it’s the least you can do), and if a bus driver ever lets you out, remember, you’re now part of the traffic karma cycle. Go forth and spread the goodwill.

And if it’s a particularly good day? Maybe I’ll even hold the drawbridge for the second car in line.

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