I know that sounds somewhat random but bear with me, I am having an “Edward de Bono moment”.
Rush hour congestion is a problem that many people, business and local authorities have to deal with. The volume of cars
coming in and out of the city on a daily basis, in a short period of time, leads to increased air pollution and health risks, it extends car journeys and adds to greenhouse gasses. I know it is a priority for a number of local authorities, the question being, how do we tempt people out of their cars and onto public transport.
My partner takes the bus into work most days. From what I hear, it is not the most wonderful experience. Grumpy bus drivers, grumpy passengers, crowded busses, delayed busses. It is hardly the recipe to tempt people from their warm little personal bubbles, no matter what the costs or time spent in traffic jams.
So what would happen if bus drivers smiled more? What happened if the bus companies recruited bus drivers based on the inter-personal skills? What happened if they acted as tour guides, weather men and women, cabaret, choir leaders. What if the experience of taking the daily bus journey into work was a fun and enjoyable experience, a veritable community or party bus?
OK, I am sure that would be some people’s version of hell, but why do bus journeys have to be only bearable? Why should it be the unavoidable option? Why can’t we find different solutions? Why? Why? Let’s start by asking “Why?”
The beauty of thinking differently, is it allows us to develop creative solutions to complex problems, to the kind of problems we seem to struggle with generationally. Be it reducing prison numbers, tackling the problems of troubled families, reducing the dependence on fossil fuels, let’s throw off the shackles and think differently … if nothing else, it is fun!
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