when i first moved to london, there were three of London's old-fashioned doubledecker buses in my 'hood: the 19, the 38 and the 73. You have to take a running leap sometimes to hop on in back and can jump off between stops. Everyone gets a seat upstairs - no standing allowed - and the conductor comes 'round calling "Fares, please!" - often in a range of accents reflecting the diversity of London's bus conductors. Sometimes they never get around to collecting your fare at all. Every time you lurch down from the upper deck, hanging on for dear life, you think: "It's a good thing I'm not more drunk" or "This is totally not wheelchair accessible" or "I'd be a goner if I trip and end up in the street."
The first week I moved into my flat, I bought a lounger for my patio and, feeling broke, decided to transport it home on the 38 bus. "You can't bring your sofa onto the bus!" the Asian conductor said, shaking his finger at me. But eventually I won him over and as I jumped off, a fellow rider called out: "Enjoy your sofa!"
First the 73 became a bendy bus - long, crowded and nowhere near as zippy as the compact Routemaster. Then the 19 became a modern doubledecker - efficient, and you still get your own seat upstairs, but not as cute a design as the Routemaster. When the 38 made the switch in October - I literally gasped in shock and put my hand to my heart.
On Friday, the last of the Routemasters made their last runs. It's the end of an ear. RIP, beloved Routemaster!
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