A St.John's Story: The Bus Driver

Now here is a good one: Paul Stewart and Partner start to board a Metro bus in St. John's Newfoundland and they're stopped at the step by the driver.  "You need papers for that guide dog." she demands.  Papers?  Papers? says Paul, a little in shock really.  "Otherwise," says the Metro driver, "How do I know he's a guide dog?"

Isn't Partner very clearly a guide dog? He's a big black dog in a harness held by a blind man.  Does St. John's have a problem of blind people slyly smuggling non-guidedogs across the city in Metro buses? "The harness is supposed to be blue," says the driver, and she after some discussion she adds, "I will let you on this time, but you should call Metro and get your proper papers."

Paul is calling Metro,  but he doesn't intend to get any papers.  I said he should have told her that he thought the harness was blue! :)

"I don't like the feel of this town," says Tagalong Paul, "I'm heading for Corner Brook on Monday."  That's why they call them buskers, from the Spanish 'buscar' which means "to search".   Woody Guthrie wrote, "The musicians play a little while and then say 'It's getting a little dead around here, let's go busking.  Find a livelier joint.'"