My school is quite far from my house, so I travel by bus every day. Usually, there is very little crowd at the bus stop and I get a bus within a few minutes. However, yesterday, when I reached the bus stop, I was surprised to see a very long queue. As I joined the line, I asked a man standing in front of me why so many people were waiting. He told me that one group of bus employees had suddenly gone on strike, so fewer buses were running.

I was worried about reaching school late, but there was nothing I could do. To pass the time, I began watching the people and activities around the bus stop.The queue kept growing longer and soon stretched in a winding line. Two young men tried to skip ahead, but the people in the queue objected and made them go back.

For quite some time, no bus arrived. After nearly twenty minutes, a bus finally came, but it was already packed and could not take any more passengers. Another bus passed by with some space inside, but it did not stop. This made many people angry.

Some passengers complained about the transport system. Others spent their time reading newspapers or scrolling through their phones. I tried talking to a few people nearby, but most of them looked irritated and uninterested. A tea seller and a snack vendor were doing good business, while a beggar moved around asking commuters for money. When another bus finally arrived, many people forgot about the queue and rushed towards it. During the confusion, someone’s wallet was stolen. He shouted loudly, but hardly anyone paid attention.

Almost an hour after I had reached the bus stop, another bus arrived and stopped with a screech. Everyone hurried to board it and I joined the rush. Luckily, I managed to get in, though I had to stand all the way. I felt relieved at last. When I reached school, I found that a few other students had also been delayed. After hearing our explanation, the teacher understood the situation and excused us.