My favorite place to sit on a double-decker bus is in the front seat of the second level. It feels like you’re the one driving the bus around the city!
At first, I was nervous about getting on the bus by myself, mostly because I’m used to only taking the subway in New York. However, last week I decided to get over it and take the bus to my class that day. Most of my classes are usually within walking distance, but last Thursday I visited the Imperial War Museum with my "Art and War" class. I was running kind of late and was looking at a 25-minute bus ride versus a half-hour Tube ride. Not only was my trip on the bus a peaceful commute, but I also ended up being the first one at the museum! I even got to use my phone while traveling, which is not something you can do underground.
Taking buses around the city reflects the British culture because it is a much more organized form of transportation than the underground system. When you arrive at a bus stop in London, you’ll often find an organized queue (line) forming so that everyone can get on the bus in an orderly fashion. I’ve also noticed that people both on the bus and on the Tube are much more reserved than they are in New York. You’re more likely to see people reading while on public transit than you are to see someone performing in the train station or talking loudly on the bus.
