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Trumped by the Fare: When Coin Tosses Meet Trade Wars

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Fare hikes arrive, Trump announces tariffs, and somewhere in the chaos, a man boards with last year’s change. I break the news with a smirk and a made-up tax. Confusion? Always, comedy? Guaranteed.

When Small Change Meets Big Policy

Some updates come with posters and emails. Others arrive via a baffled punter clutching three coins and a question mark.

There’s something deliciously poetic about fare increases and global politics colliding at the exact moment someone’s rummaging through a lint-filled pocket for exact change.

It always starts the same way: a familiar face boards the bus, throws in a few quid, exactly the same as they did in 2022, and expects time to freeze. Then they stand there. Expectantly. Waiting for a beep. A receipt. A miracle. Anything.

“Sorry,” I’ll say with a gentle driverly shrug, “there’s been a slight fare adjustment.”

Cue the blank look. The "Oh no, not again" furrowed brow. Sometimes the squint, as if the hopper might spit the coins back with an apology.

Red arrow and stock chart depicting a financial market crash triggered by global tariff policies.

Then I strike:

“Donald Trump’s tariffs, I’m afraid. Need to slap an extra 10% on that.”

The reaction is gold.

Pure, coin-jangling confusion.

You’d think I’d just told them the Queen was back and demanding exact change.

I’ll quickly reassure them it’s not technically a Trump tax, though wouldn't that be something? Just a regular ol’ fare hike. Brought in weeks ago. Posters everywhere. Emails, even. But some of our passengers, bless their analogue souls, operate strictly on the "I’ll find out when I board" notification system.

What fascinates me is the consistency. You could raise fares, launch a national awareness campaign, project the new price onto the moon, and still, three weeks later, there’d be a man with £2.50 in coins and a completely shattered worldview.

One chap even asked if the price increase came with a refund on potholes. Another claimed he had a loyalty card. (It was a Tesco Clubcard. I admired the optimism.)

In the end, I always settle it the same way. Smile. Nod. “It’s not Trump’s fault this time. This one was planned in advance.”

Then I wait for them to do the little dance: the shuffle of shame back to their seat or the reluctant dig for another coin, muttering something about the good old days when buses cost less than a Freddo.

But hey, at least they’re still paying in cash. Some mysteries deserve the full theatrical reveal.

Market Mayhem, Not Hopper Havoc

For clarity (and legal safety), let’s set the record straight: the stock market didn’t nosedive because Barry on the 8:13 didn’t know the fare had gone up by 20p. The crash came courtesy of tariffs, trade tantrums, and the occasional presidential tweet typed in all caps at 3am.

Still, it’s comforting to know that whether it's global finance or a local bus ride, someone, somewhere, is always shocked when the cost goes up.

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