Your Lordship recently had the pleasure of travelling by BUS from Germany to London - a most unsatisfactory arrangement, but it was occasioned by a temporary impecunious state and the desire to have to bring back excess luggage on a flight, in view of goodies being brought over from the Continent.
The bus driver was a short brachcephelic German with a big mouth and a small brain ( and surprisingly no knowledge of English ). He took back a hitch-hiker, who piad him, the drive, for his passage. He paid him half the normal going rate. A one-off perhaps ? No such thing !
The driver volunteered to give me the dates he would be doing the journey over the next few weeks and if I contacted him on his mobile, he would arrange to collect me from wherever and charge me half the rate. A tempting offer.
I was more concerned when, after an hour of small talk, and when the bus had emptied at customs, he called me back and showed me a hidden compartment, in which he could sleep ( it had a berth ), and which was usually not inspected by customs. What was the implication here I ask ? I got the impression he would have sold his mother if the price was right.
The naivety of immigration and customs in inspecting the vehivle and its passengers beggars all description. There wer enough of them on duty after all. One should be looking at the life styles of inter-continental busdrivers, but also immigration and customs officials. I have that on good authority.
December 2002