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In 2013, I landed in Bangalore for the wedding of my friend’s daughter. I arrived a day earlier and decided to stay with my friend Sri in Marathahalli. I was unaware of the traffic issues in Bangalore. Sri told me to take the Vajra bus, a spacious AC bus with luggage space, from the airport, and he’d pick me up from the bus stop.

Following his instructions, I went to the bus stand within the airport premises. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a good bus stand and buses at the airport. I boarded the bus, placed my luggage flat on the allotted area, and took a seat. The tickets were reasonable. There were a few passengers on the bus. The long, empty roads and the whiff of cool breeze made it a pleasant ride. I’d settled for the 1.5-hour drive, enjoying the scenery.

After about 20 minutes, a passenger got off. The boy had boarded the bus with me and had placed his luggage next to mine, so I instinctively looked behind to check if he was taking his bag. Oh no!! The boy got down without his bag! What followed happened simultaneously. I gasped, and the bus started. I called the driver to stop, and told the conductor the boy had forgotten his bag. The driver saw in the side mirror that the boy was running behind the bus. The conductor gestured for me to relax and rang the bell to stop the bus. The bus stopped; the boy ran up to the bus, whisked his bag, and went without thanking the conductor or driver. The bus doors closed.

Me: (overcoming what just happened, looking at the conductor) Thank God you stopped the bus, the boy remembered his bag after he got down.

Conductor: (nodding) Are you a school teacher?

The conductor’s unexpected question caught me off guard.

Me: (a surprised look and smile) Yes, how did you guess?

Conductor: Your concern for the boy who forgot his luggage, only a teacher can feel like that. It’s not your job, but you take care. Look at the other passengers around; none of them noticed what happened.

Me: You have seen thousands of travelers and are experienced enough to know their professions by their looks/behavior.

Conductor: Yeah, I’ve been working for the last 15 years. I’ve seen a lot of passengers and can tell if they are regular commuters, or outsiders, and fairly guess their professions from how they buy their tickets.

The conductor sat in the seat before mine, turned around, and shared his experiences, including stories of passengers forgetting valuable items, and the bus depot’s lost and found department. He explained how this works. As we chatted, I learned about the intricacies of the bus system and his personal life.

The conversation made the journey enjoyable, and I appreciated the conductor’s sincerity and warmth. The bus ride was a pleasant introduction to Bangalore’s local transportation. Later, I explored Bangalore by bus.